Heirs to the Sith
by Loki's Son
Summary: Tanith Irel and Korista Talon'Ryst were trained by both Luke Skywalker and by Brakkis. Now one is pursued and the other the pursuer. Their lives are inextricably intertwined and how will this affect them when Luke and Mara Jade come after them?
1. Chapter 1

Heirs to the Sith

Notes: This takes place after the Young Jedi series. While I have religiously watched the original trilogy films and seen the prequels a few times each, my knowledge of the written canon doesn't extend much further than the Timothy Zahn novels. Obviously, this is a non-canon tale and therefore should not be jumped on by canon fanatics.

Disclaimer: Star Wars is the property and copyrighted works of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I make no profits from this story and, knowing he could squash me like a bug, do not assert any of my work to be canon in any shape or form. This is simply for fun.

Chapter One

_What am I doing here? _Tanith Irel asked herself, not for the first time. _And probably not the last, _she sighed inwardly.

Her life had become an oddity even to herself. The events that drove her into Wild Space were of her own creation but they still had a surreal air about them. Wild Space possessed a reputation for being a haven for refugees and criminals. The sparsely populated worlds certainly deserved the rep, but they also housed some of the hardiest settlers she'd ever encountered.

Abandoned long ago during the throes of the Clone Wars, the worlds of the so-called Wild Space had learned to live without the Republic, Old or New, and had been virtually ignorant of the Empire that had dominated so much of the galaxy. They formed the border between explored space and the Unknown Regions. They were too far away from the Core Worlds to be noticed by the political bureaucracies. A few research teams and expeditions ventured beyond the Civilized Galaxy every so often, but the very rarity of these events helped diminish their impact upon the Worlds Beyond.

Tanith came, as so many before her, seeking to elude others pursuing her. Months spent in the Outer Rim had finally profited her the coordinates of the world she now lived upon. Even if she'd not wormed the nav data out of the smuggler, she would have jumped to another world. Three weeks on Tatooine had been three too many. She began to see why Master Skywalker was such a hardheaded nerf herder. You'd have to be to survive that blast furnace of a world.

Her jaw clenched as she thought about Skywalker. If she'd listened to him, she might not be in her current predicament. _Then again, _she thought wryly, _if he hadn't decided to chase Brakkis down to the ends of the galaxy, I might not be in this mess either._ She tasted the lie in that thought even as it passed through her mind.

She sighed as she passed by a tapcafe on her way home. The skies of Terrescu were perpetually grey and cloudy, but never more so then at dusk. The clouds seemed to consume the planet at night. The flip side was that the rare clear night sky contained the most amazing view of the galaxy's stars she'd ever seen. _One advantage to being on a fairly nonindustrial world, I guess._ She thought to herself.

Tanith trudged on towards the lodgings she rented. It wasn't much, but then again she didn't need much. Everything she owned had been aboard the small freighter she'd used to get here. She'd sold that to give her a stake with which to secure lodgings and meals until she'd found employment. As usual, the first offers had come from the brothels. She'd given them the same wintry smile she'd used across the Outer Rim and told them to find the most direct route to whatever hell they claimed _and_ to use it.

Eventually she'd found a job with a small shipping company. It was the same company that had purchased her poor cargo runner. She'd been aghast to learn they thought her battered ship was quite a prize. After reviewing her flight logs, they asked her to work for them as a dispatcher.

Her job was painfully simple. Try to route as many stops along a run as possible with minimum expenditure of time, fuel, or maintenance as possible. The navigational side of things came easily enough. She still fought with her bosses over how much, or how little, maintenance was acceptable.

The first thing she'd demanded after starting was a training program for the poor souls thrust into the dilapidated ships and hurled into space with almost no knowledge of shiphandling or crisis management. She knew the same was true Corewards, but at least the idiots either learned or were vaped in an accident. Here, there weren't enough people or ships to let that remain a viable business practice. Fortunately her bosses agreed, but unfortunately she had more deep-space experience than most of the locals put together.

After a full shift of scheduling shipping runs for a half dozen archaic tramp freighters, she then put in another two hours trying to hammer the basics of star piloting into boredom befuddled minds. She tried to clear her mind of the day's frustrations as she came around the last corner before her lodgings. She drew her cloak around her as she pressed on. Fortunately, full-length cloaks with hoods were the height of fashion here so she was inconspicuous.

Her flat was an abandoned warehouse. Her rent was affordable because it had been as neglected as long as it had been unused. In exchange for her repair work, her rent was free. In darker moments, Tanith wondered how many centuries the building had lain unattended.

Her landlord had expressed some curiosity as to why she'd wanted lodgings with so much open area. She'd floundered a bit while she concocted a story of an interest in sculpture. The landlord had merely scowled at her but had not challenged the obvious lie. She probably suspected some illicit vices were being indulged and Tanith assumed such activities would be tolerated here better than the truth.

She stopped before the large double doors that comprised her front door. She punched her access code into the locking mechanism. It reported that only fifteen incorrect codes had been inputted today. She smiled at that; the number was dropping geometrically on a daily basis.

_Either they're finally accepting they can't break the code or maybe I'm losing my sex appeal now that I've been here a while?_ Tanith shook her head at that thought before wistfully thinking, _If only it could be true._

Tanith had been warned shortly after arriving that many of the young bucks loitering around Ceratown made a game of breaking into the homes of any young women that moved to the city from the outer farmlands. Being an offworlder had added to the normal allure and she'd broken all records for attempted break-ins. She'd also set a record for foiling every attempt.

That still didn't prevent her from carrying a two-arm's span length of polished hardwood. She'd carried the staff with her halfway across the galaxy. It had been her father's and it was a cherished keepsake. It was also hard enough to brain just about sentient species in the known galaxy.

She'd been trained in its use as a child and was better at using it than the other weapon discreetly clipped to her belt. Her parents had both been teachers on Bakura before their deaths due to the Ssi-ruuk attacks. Her parents, trained as reserve medical techs, had been aboard an Imperial cutter when it was destroyed. Her life seemed bleak until Bakura's Republican allies sent Rogue Squadron on a training mission.

One of the Rogues that came to spar with Bakura's pilots was named Corran Horn. Horn was more than a Rogue, he was a Jedi Knight. Corran eyed Tanith a little suspiciously when they first met. It'd unnerved Tanith, but not as badly as when he'd told her the Force was strong with her. It sounded more like a sentencing than an observation.

With Horn's help, she managed to book passage to Coruscant where she'd meet the infamous Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker. If her heart had palpitated at meeting Horn, it thundered in the presence of Skywalker. After a series of simple questions, he'd invited her to his Jedi Academy. He'd warned her that it wouldn't be easy, especially with the anger she carried in her heart regarding her parent's death. She nodded, ignored his words, and agreed to go.

As the doors to her flat slid open, she wished for the thousandth time that she'd heeded his unspoken warnings that far off day. Trying to ignore the groaning noises of the dilapidated motors pulling the doors, she reminded herself that "far off" day was only three years in the past. The doors finished their opening cycle and she punched the activation button on the wall and the doors groaned again as they closed. She rubbed her temples and promised herself, _again_, that as soon as she had time, she'd oil the damn trackway.

She flipped her hood back. She ran a hand through the tangled mess of her mid-length raven hair. Even before she went on the run, she'd worn it this way. It naturally twisted and tangled on its own so she let it be rather than to constantly try and style it.

The effect made her look like she'd just been caught in a windstorm.

It gave her a slightly dangerous edge to match the subtle grace of her movements and the way her eyes seemed to constantly watch everything. Strangers were unnerved by her without ever quite knowing why. Their unease enabled her to avoid questions she'd really rather avoid.

She laid her staff aside and shucked her gray cloak. Underneath she wore a loose fitting brown vest over a black knit top. The vest became a useful place to hide her lightsaber while she was at work or shopping in town. She only wore it on her belt when she was alone or wore the cloak. With the local weather, that was still a lot more than she'd expected to.

She wore brown pants with spacer's boots. The boots were somewhere between brown and black. She'd never been sure what color they were supposed to be. She also had no idea what creature had surrendered its life for her comfort but she knew that they _were _comfortable.

She plucked the cylindrical hilt off her belt. She gazed at it absently for a moment before re-clipping it with a resigned sigh. She'd never been comfortable with the thing. She'd been tempted to throw it away several times, but something always held her back.

She shed the vest and moved further into her "home". It was a cavernous space. One half held her sleeping cot, a chair, and a shelf with a few holos and books. A small cryo held her perishables and a camp heater served as a stove. At least the san now worked after two days of scrubbing to make it tolerable. The building even had its own well and pump.

Half the building was empty. She left it that way so she could practice. She wasn't sure why she did that still either. She'd betrayed everything she'd been taught, so why did she still practice meditations she found distasteful? Her teras kasi exercises had a practical, if equally distasteful, pragmatism behind them.

She stopped by the shelves and stared at a holo of her father and mother, taken weeks before their deaths. She'd been eight then. A lot had changed in the nineteen years following that event. She'd been taken in by a matronly aunt and schooled at a local academy.

She'd been given an internship at a young age and served as an aide to a Bakuran Senator. It had been tedious work, but fulfilling. Tanith liked the idea that her efforts made a difference to the rest of her planet. When Corran Horn had made his offer, her imagination had leapt at the possibilities.

She sighed bitterly. _Some difference I'm making now. _Her mind echoed with her parent's voices, cajoling her for not living up to their example. She closed her eyes while she pinched the bridge of her nose and waited for the ghosts to fade.

She released a slow exhalation and headed for the san. As she caught her reflection, she knew it was little wonder that she thought of her mother every time she saw her own image. They could have passed for sisters. The only major sign of her father was her raven hair.

She had her mother's high cheekbones, and pert nose. She had large blue eyes that would have dominated her face if her lips weren't so full. Her face descended sharply into a rounded jaw. She suddenly realized her fair complexion came more from her father than her mother.

She'd been told often enough that she was rather attractive. She generally assumed the compliments indicated a desire to exchange bodily fluids. Emperor's Black Bones knew that enough of her recent "fellow students" had tried to compliment their way into her bed. At least that had been one thing she hadn't dealt with at the Jedi Academy.

Things had been far different at Brakkis' Twilight Academy. An advanced version of his Shadow Academy, the Twilight curriculum catered to adults. Brakkis made rare visits but when he did he weighed in on the progress of every student. His personal attention could often be brutal and was always disturbing. Two students had died during the "examinations".

She tried to put those thoughts away as her stomach growled suddenly. Tanith hadn't eaten in twelve hours and her body was gently complaining. She started for the kitchenette when she stopped suddenly. She froze as she felt someone draw on the Force.

The activation button on the door depressed and the door began its groaning cycle as it slid open. Her security had thwarted the locals because her keypad wasn't connected to anything. She telekinetically activated the drive motor with the Force. Unless you were a Jedi, the only way to activate the door was from the inside.

Her worst nightmare was realized as someone discovered that and circumvented it. She tied her hair back and moved quickly towards her staff. If her fears were wrong as to her caller's identity was, the she might still be able to bluff her way out of this if she avoided using her lightsaber. If not, she was Bantha fodder anyway and she was more comfortable with the staff than the blade.

As usual, a thick fog had enveloped the city as night descended. The figure emerged from the fog and stepped jauntily into the empty area that formed her entryway. Her breathing grew shallow and her blood chilled as she recognized who it was. Even after a year, his image was still burned brightly in her mind.

"Tanith Irel!" he shouted in a manic greeting, "I've found you at last!"

She snatched the staff up and held it in a two-handed grip, "Stay back, Gregin. I'm warning you."

His scarred face twisted into an ugly smile, "You're warning me? Why thank you. I appreciate your concern. It would have been nicer if you'd warned me last time."

Her stomached tightened as she heard his words. It wasn't from his voice being filled with anger or hate; it was the absence of such emotions that terrified her. She knew that she couldn't afford to be taken alive. If she were, she'd be pleading for death before he was done.

She was amazed he was alive. The vicious pink scar that ran down the length of the left side of his face was her doing. No amount of bacta could completely heal a wound that had been cauterized even as it was formed. The gleaming red cybernetic eye was also a result of her handiwork.

"I'm surprised Brakkis still wants me back." She commented.

Gregin shook his head, his smile growing even more feral, "He doesn't want you. He's dead. Skywalker and his Jedi smashed the Second Imperium. They're all dead and gone and that leaves just us two. This is personal."

She gave a flippant laugh that sounded hollow even to her ears, "Wanted the other side of your face carved off, eh?"

His natural eye froze over with that. He was a large man, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. He'd always worn his blonde shoulder length hair in a meticulous braid, now it flowed freely down his back. He hadn't shaved in days, another sign of his relentless pursuit of her.

Gregin had been one of the reasons she'd left Brakkis' Academy. The man was a monster. Tales of Vader's butchery were legendary, but witnessing Gregin recreate some of those tales for his own amusement had been too much a strain on her wavering belief in Brakkis' teachings. She'd left the Jedi because she thought they were passive and weak. She left the dark Jedi because they were psychotic.

Their rhetoric of using the darker, more aggressive side of the Force to restore order to the chaotic remains of the former Empire had been a lie. The dark Jedi had been thugs with the power to exercise their every whim. When Brakkis had sensed her doubts, he'd ordered her to meditate on what troubled her for a few days and then discuss her insights with him and then he'd tortured her in order to "liberate" her thoughts. Gregin volunteered to watch over her and "guide" her in her reflections. His guidance had been a euphemism for attempted rape.

After slashing him with her saber, she'd fled the Academy and had been running ever since. She'd known her side of the story would never be believed. Gregin had too much influence and had purchased too many allies for her to convince a majority of her peers that she'd been justified. Her other recourse was to challenge him to a lightsaber duel to prove who was true and who was false. The problem with that was that he was among the finest swordsmen in the Twilight Academy while she undeniably remained the worst.

What Gregin didn't know was that over the last year as she made her way across the galaxy, she'd discovered depths of herself she never known she'd had. She'd survived everything it could throw at her and came away stronger and harder. Gregin could still scare her, but he couldn't stop her. She would never surrender…_never!_

A shrill whining sound broke the silence of the moment and the plastisteel skylight shattered as two swoops plunged down through them. Three riders dismounted. A female Bothan, a male Duro, and a male human now faced her, wielding shock pikes and vibroblades. She should have known Gregin wouldn't face her alone.

They began to encircle her while Gregin held himself back, aloof from the events. _He's saving his energy for the torture sessions_, she realized. Her other three attackers moved clumsily and she knew they hadn't been in the Academy long before being drafted to hunt her down. With Gregin as their teacher on this trip, they were undoubtedly getting an education in thuggery.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. Her fear dissipated and her resolve hardened as her anger fuelled her determination. Her anger had carried her to the Jedi, then the Dark Jedi, and then halfway across the galaxy. If she were to fight and die today, then these bastards would know they'd been in a fight!

The three toughs approaching her were of varied size and skill. The Bothan looked the most dangerous. Her race taught unarmed combat to their young as a mental exercise to prepare them for the political warfare their species was famed for. She wielded the pike as though it was second nature for her to have it in her hand.

The Duro and human each wielded vibroblades. Neither looked particularly skilled in their use. They resembled the street rabble they probably were. The moral and skill requirements to join Brakkis' Academy had been nonexistent.

Tanith ignored the saber hanging from her belt. Her grip tightened on her quarterstaff. Her father would never know how valuable his early lessons had been to her over her life. Her obvious skill and devotion to the arts had persuaded her aunt on Bakura to continue her training. That discipline later allowed her to study with the Jedi, both light and dark.

Although not as impressive as the vibroblades or the shock pikes, the staff had a few secrets of its own. Her father, bless him, had infused it with cortosis. It could withstand blows from her lightsaber with barely a scratch. Sustained pressure from a saber could sever the staff, but nothing less would. Her three opponents were about to have a harsh lesson in Bakuran martial training.

The Duro and the human lunged forward. She met the Duro under the jaw with the end of her staff. She then swung it hard to her right, bracing it between her arm and her hip. It struck the human across the face, sending him staggering to the floor. The Duro dropped to his knees, clutching his throat. Tanith knew he wouldn't be gasping for air long. His species' natural flexibility made it virtually impossible to crush their windpipes or bones.

The Bothan slashed in for the attack while these thoughts flashed across Tanith's mind. The fury behind it reminded her of the Bothan's predatory past. She tried to ignore her opponent's vestigial fangs as she pressed the attack. As she'd feared, the Bothan expertly wielded the pike.

Their duel reflected the elegance and savagery of their opposing techniques. Unlike Tanith's staff, one end of the pike emitted a paralyzing voltage. Due to this, the Bothan continually attempted to disable Tanith by striking her with it. Tanith began to see predictability in her enemy's movements. Deciding to gamble on her newfound insight she stepped back and planted one end of her staff on the floor while her arms remained coiled around it and she held it close to her body.

The Bothan wavered for a second, long enough for Tanith to catch her breath, and then thrust forward with her pike in a staggered, two-handed grip. Tanith exploded into action. With her right hand remaining at the upper part of the staff, she began to twist to her right. Her right hand pushed the staff down as her left drew it up. The arc caught the Bothan's forehand as she began her charge. She yowled in pain as the continued sweep dislodged the pike from her member and threw it away from her.

Tanith carried her spin and rotated completely around. She brought the staff through a pirouette over her head and then brought it crashing down in a one-handed grip crossing behind her body, her left hand reaching out towards her opponent. Her breath came heavily but her eyes flashed icy fire.

Her defiance and bolstered confidence unnerved and enraged the Bothan. She had never been disarmed in combat before and found it humiliating that a mere strip of a human had accomplished it. Even more annoying was the fact she'd been able to taste the scent of the human's fear before and now that taste was gone. The only flavor in the air was Tanith's confidence.

She charged headlong towards Tanith with an ear splitting shriek erupting from her mouth. Her claws were bared, as were her fangs. She would slay the human and taste her flesh as her ancestors had done aeons before. The primal lust consumed her, right before Tanith's staff smashed into her forehead.

The Bothan went down like a broken doll. Her skull shattered by the end of the staff. Tanith didn't stop there; she spun around end thrust the staff end out again, catching the Duro in the groin. Fortunately, the species shared the same location for genitals as humans and he went limp as he exhaled every trace of air from his lungs. She ended his misery and sent him to blissful unconsciousness with another blow from the staff, this time to his head.

The echoing sound of clapping made her spin around towards its source. Tanith had forgotten all about Gregin in the intensity of battle. He strode arrogantly towards her while applauding her success. The sneer on his face spoke volumes regarding his estimations of her chances against him.

Sweat soaked strands of hair clung to Tanith's face. Thankfully her hair had _mostly _stayed in its tail but loose strands had adhered themselves to her sweat streaked cheeks. She resisted the impulse to wipe away a particularly annoying strand clinging to the corner of her mouth. Her eyes fixed upon his and remained there.

His sneer blossomed into an arrogant smirk, "Well, my pretty, it seems you've learned a thing or two in the last year."

Her eyes never wavered, never changed, "I've always known how to fight, Gregin. The true skill comes in knowing when to back off because you're simply outclassed."

"Like you are now?" he asked snidely.

"You know better than that." Her tone was dry, "How else do you explain your new eye and those lovely scars?"

Hatred flashed across his face, "I underestimated your skills once, witch. I won't do so again."

"Seems to me you're doing it again right now." She jauntily replied.

She could feel the wave of unbridled rage that rippled off of him. She drew on the Force to refresh her weary muscles. She could feel Gregin drawing in the dark side, storing its energies like a battery. His blade ignited and he came at her in a blur that she felt rather than saw.

She parried his first strike, than another... and another... followed by another. She lost count of the blows as she struggled to block them all. She thanked the spirit of her long dead father for his foresight in modifying the staff as it deflected blow after relentless blow. Minutes passed uncounted, the fervent combat unabated until the unthinkable happened.

Gregin's emerald blade slashed through the staff, cutting it in half. Internally, Tanith wailed in protest at its loss. Externally, she deflected Gregin's sword hand with one half while she clubbed him in the side of the head with the other. He grunted in pain and blindly lashed out with the Force, knocking her off her feet.

She rolled with the momentum and came up on her feet. Snatching the saber hilt off her belt, she ignited it and its violet blade hissed to life. She raised the saber high to her right shoulder in a ready stance as Gregin shook off the last effects of her blow. An ugly burn from the molten end of her cut staff now blistered above his cybernetic eye.

His leering smile was ugly, "That was well played, but you _will _pay for it."

"You keep making promises," she mocked, "but you never seem to be able to deliver on them."

She heard the hiss of his breath as he pressed the attack. The clash of sabers filled the former warehouse. Tanith held him off but Gregin had the advantage in a sword fight. The unrelenting waves of hatred wore her resolve down even as his attack wore her physical strength away.

She somersaulted over his head and thrust her saber straight back. He barely avoided it and twisted to bring a slashing strike down on her back. She pivoted on her heel, angling away from his arc and swung her sword arm up. She still had her saber in an inverted grip and it freed her left leg from its stance and allowed her to deliver a powerful kick to Gregin's ribs.

The force of the blow pushed air out of his lips as he stepped back. She rotated the saber into a two handed grip and went on the offensive. Gregin blocked her first blow, having recovered faster than she'd hoped and swiftly reversed the initiative. Tanith began giving ground though she knew she would eventually be cornered if she couldn't regain the offensive.

Gregin tapped into reserves she no longer had and intensified his attack. She tried to block a swiping blow only to find him continuing the motion rotating the saber out of her hand and into the air. His left hand smashed into her mouth, driving her off balance and she fell backwards. With his right, he slashed at her saber as it fell towards the ground.

His blade sliced through the saber's focusing crystals. The resulting harmonic dissonance caused them to shatter and the saber to explode with them. The pieces rained across the warehouse.

Tanith tried to repel the shrapnel with the Force. A few molten pieces escaped her shield and singed her legs. As she swatted at the burning pieces smoldering through her pants, she could feel Gregin's power as he swatted aside all of the shrapnel near him. She also tasted her own blood as it filled her mouth from her split lip. She reached towards her mouth to wipe the blood away when the hum of his blade leveled at her throat caused her to stop and look up to meet his eyes.

His expression was smug as he stood poised over her, "You are beaten. It is useless to resist."

Her mind reeled on two tracks at these words. She desperately tried to find an escape, a final weapon she could throw at him. The other part of her mind tried to remember why those words sounded so _familiar_. The first part of her mind laughed at the futility of trying dredge up such useless trivia while having a lightsaber blade aimed at your throat by a psychopath.

Stubbornness overcame her fear and her eyes hardened in resolve, "You can kill me, but I'll just become more powerful than you can imagine." _That _was another sentiment that haunted her. The words were imprecise but the gist was all that mattered. All she knew was it _felt_ true.

She saw a flicker in his eyes. His mouth worked in a soundless protest. _He knows it too!_ She just wished she actually knew what they both seemed to sense.

Gregin pulled the sword back and poised it for a thrust. His newfound fear over her claim seemed to be pushing him to abandon his long plans for vengeance. Her death became a consuming need. It was also the very source of his fear.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A deep voice advised, "If she lives, you may as well."

Gregin turned in shock. Tanith angled sideways in order to get a better view of the unexpected player in their little drama. There was a lot to see. The man was dressed all in black, with an ebon cloak and hood covering him.

"Who are you?" Gregin asked imperiously, "How dare you interfere in our business?"

The stranger laughed, "I do because I can. You're a stranger here. This territory is under my protection and that of others like me. You're not wanted here. I suggest ya leave before I decide to force the issue."

"You don't know what you're dealing with." Gregin spat.

"Neither do you, I gather." The stranger replied with an ironic humor. His voice held a lilt that Tanith had never heard before. It was obviously an Outer Rim accent, or that of a Wild Space planet. The cadence had a musical quality that lent it an amiable air. Tanith had no doubts it could relay authority or outrage as well.

Gregin stepped away from her to focus on this new threat. He obviously no longer saw her as a danger. She snorted to herself. He'd learn differently as soon as she caught her fourth wind.

As Gregin stepped aside, she could see the stranger's garb more clearly. It closely resembled Jedi robes, except that the pants were baggier than the norm. He wore black gloves and with the hood drawn up, only his jaw could be seen. No other flesh was visible.

It was a rugged square jaw, with the shadow of a day's worth of beard growth. The lips were thin but firm. Crinkles around it suggested frequent smiles and laughter. Looking at the stern expression now, that possibility was hard to imagine.

The stranger threw back his hood, revealing his face. His hair was as dark as his hood. His hair combed back except for a few stray locks brushing his forehead. His nose was wide and his features rugged. Lines matching those around his mouth lined his forehead and his eyes. His dark eyes glinted in anticipation and Tanith's heart began to beat faster as she wondered what was about to occur.

The man stepped forward and began to discard his cloak as he did so. Tanith judged him to be about a decade older than herself. He was tall and moved with an easy grace. Although the loose fitting clothes hid his physique, he held himself as a warrior. Before he was a menacing shadow, revealed he became an instrument of death.

She felt Gregin's confidence falter and wondered why his arrogance suddenly left him. She searched her unexpected benefactor and saw what had startled Gregin. Hanging from the stranger's belt was a lightsaber. It was sleeker than any she had seen before, but its purpose and function were unmistakable.

"Are you a Jedi?" Gregin hissed.

The man chuckled, "No, and neither are you boy."

"What are you?" Gregin demanded.

"Your worst fear." The man said, his voice hardening, "Yield now, and you'll leave here alive."

"Never." Gregin snarled.

The stranger shrugged, "It's your funeral."

Gregin bellowed as he charged. The stranger plucked his lightsaber off his belt and ignited it. It flared to life with a scarlet glow. It met Gregin's emerald blade and a sizzling blue corona formed between them.

If Tanith had thought that her battle with Gregin had been furious, she hadn't even pondered a contest like this. Both parties moved faster than her eye could track. They were fluid engines of destruction. She could feel the Force flow and rage as the two combatants dodged and parried.

They struck at each other telekinetically as well with their blades. The stranger received a kick from Gregin only to flip backwards and land on his feet. He blocked the follow through as though he'd never felt the blow. He spun and ducked simultaneously.

Gregin leapt high to avoid the warrior's kick. As he landed, he stumbled as the scarlet saber swung towards him. Blow after blow rained down upon him. His inner ring of defense began to be penetrated time and again. He narrowly avoided crippling cuts to receive glancing wounds.

His saber flew from his hand as he gave an anguished shout. The warrior stopped and appraised him for a moment. Something akin to pity crossed his features. He deactivated his blade and threw it aside.

"The true weapon is not the saber." He said grimly, "Let us see what kind of weapon _you_ are."

Gregin moved forward and snapped a punch as acceptance of his enemy's offer. It was blocked and he blocked a return. Hands and feet flew at each other. Gregin back-flipped into the wall and kicked off towards the dark warrior. He spun in mid-air, executing an elegant kick that would have broken the other man's collarbone had it landed.

The warrior stepped aside and outstretched his hand towards Gregin as the dark Jedi tried to reclaim his balance. He flew helplessly against the wall and flailed as the warrior's telekinesis held him suspended in mid-air. The stranger made a clucking sound with his tongue.

"You've spirit lad, but you don't have the brains the universe gave a bloody gundark." He scolded. He flicked his wrist and Gregin's head lolled as his neck broke.

The warrior turned away from Gregin's corpse and it slid to the ground. His lightsaber flew to him and he returned it to his belt. His cloak followed and he inspected it. He sighed as he pushed dust off of it.

"What?" he asked irritably, "You can't ever dust? It's not like you'd ever have to actually lift a finger. Just _push_ the dirt out the door."

Tanith had managed to reclaim her feet, but stared at the advancing paragon in transfixed shock. He hadn't bothered to glance her way yet, and she was glad of it. She'd spit the blood out of her mouth and stanched the blood flow with a Jedi technique, but she knew her strength still hadn't returned. She still didn't know if he planned to kill her or not. Her eyes desperately sought Gregin's lightsaber.

Her hopes plummeted as she saw it only for it to hurl itself through the air into the warrior's waiting grasp. The stranger's dark eyes finally met hers. His face broke into an amused grin. She found herself growing annoyed as he began to laugh at her expense.

"What's the matter with you woman?" he asked between guffaws. His accent thickened, "Don't ya think if I'd wanted t'kill you, you'd be dead by now?"

She nodded slowly, wincing from both the pain such a motion caused and the knowledge that he could kill her without her being able to do a thing about it.

"What do you plan on doing with me?" she asked hesitantly.

"I plan on gettin' you of this bloody rock." He said, the dry amusement returning to his voice, "After that, it's your choice."

"And if I decide to part ways?" she asked, irritation flaring in her voice.

"Then you can." He replied simply, "But at least hear what I'm offerin' before you decide t'go."

She nodded in acquiescence. She was in no shape to refuse right now anyway. She'd sold her transport and this man was obviously an offworlder. If Gregin had found her others would follow. Even if Brakkis were truly dead, others would lay claim to his title and seek retribution, using her for a scapegoat.

"So how soon can you be ready?" he inquired.

"Five minutes." She answered flatly.

"You've been on the run for a while, haven't you?" he asked appreciatively.

She shot him a puzzled look, "I thought you already knew that?"

He shook his head and that cursed ironic grin appeared again, "I don't even know the sound of your name, milady. I was set on another task when I felt you and these yobbos drawin' on the Force like the Clone Wars were being waged all over again."

"So why did you...?" her voice drifted off on the question.

"As I told the lead idiot, I'm pledged to defend this world as well as a few others." He replied simply, "It wasn't hard to discern who the attacker and the defender here were. I caught enough off o' him to know his motives were decidedly uncharitable enough to consider him a threat to both you and the locals."

He stepped closer and handed her Gregin's now ownerless lightsaber, "You'll be needin' this."

Tanith absorbed this without comment. She accepted the proffered saber hilt without comment and then shuffled off to pack. As promised, she was ready in five minutes. The enigmatic warrior had simply stood there, not making a sound as she'd worked. She waited a few minutes, and then impatience took over.

"Well?" Tanith asked.

"Well what?" he asked in return.

"When are we leaving?" she wondered.

"Soon." He sagely replied.

"How soon?" she grated.

"Soon, soon." Was all he said.

"Why did I pack so fast if we're just going to stand here?" she demanded, arms akimbo.

He grinned at her, "I only asked how fast you could be ready. I never said y'had to be ready that fast."

"Why you arrogant..." Tanith began to mutter and as her hand clenched she felt her arm drawing back.

She stopped as the warehouse began to shake. The unmistakable hum of replusorlifts filled the air. The walls vibrated as she heard a ship run through its landing cycle beside her building. She stared at the stranger in stunned silence.

He motioned towards the door, "Comin'?"

"I don't even know you're name." She protested.

"Only fair." He retorted, "I don't know yours."

"Tanith Irel." She grumbled.

"I'm Ro-Jan Drea." He replied with a lopsided grin, "I'm pleased t'make your acquaintance. If you'll come with me, I'll introduce ya t'my pilot, Alaric Brekk."

As he hurried out the door, she shrugged, "What've I got to lose?"

"By the way, y'don't need t'thank me for savin' your life." Ro-Jan's voice called back.

"Wasn't planning on it." She muttered under her breath as she followed him out the door.

Tanith exited the warehouse she'd called "home" for the last few months to discover an Imperial cutter sitting outside."

"You're an Imperial?" she asked, with a note of betrayal in her voice.

"No." Ro-Jan replied, "I'm not. My ride is."

"That doesn't make sense." Tanith replied.

"Come aboard with me and it'll make sense, I promise you."

He sounded sincere but Tanith had learned to distrust everyone so she hesitated. The dark man gave her a rough smile.

"If I'd wanted you dead, you'd be that way already. You don't honestly think you'd stand a chance against me with that?" He punctuated the final word by using the Force to jangle Gregin's lightsaber at her belt.

She clutched at the saber and his smile broadened, "You're too tired to even mount a reasonable defense against me. Come aboard, eat something and get some rest. You'll be safe from everyone while aboard that ship."

"Interesting clarification." She wryly noted.

"It's a dangerous galaxy darlin'. No tellin' who else may try something." He warned.

"Why me?" Tanith blurted out, "Why the singular attention?"

"You have a rare and precious gift." Ro-Jan explained, "It feels as though you've been partially trained on how to use it by two different masters."

Tanith reluctantly nodded and Ro-Jan continued, "And I'd be thinkin' they're opposin' masters at that."

Again she nodded and he shrugged, "Then how would you like to find a path that'll make sense of everywhere you've been taught so far?"

Tanith had to ponder this. Her training up until now had been so contradictory as to not make sense. Clarification, any at all, would be an asset to her. It would improve her odds of survival enormously.

"You can do this?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, but my master can. Just come with us. If you change your mind, we'll take you to any planet you want to go to.... assumin' it's in Wild Space or nearby in the Outer Rim."

"Agreed." She stuck out a hand.

Ro-Jan accepted the hand and pumped it, "About time. Let's load up then."

Tanith wasn't fully sure what she expected of an Imperial cutter, even one dating back to the Empire's founding, but it certainly wasn't this. She expected drab, utilitarian, and stolid. What she wasn't prepared for was the explosion of color that greeted her. Every centimeter of the interior was brightly painted in wildly varying schemes. Even the stock crash couches for the passengers had been ripped out and replaced with floral patterned furniture.

As Tanith gaped, Ro-Jan leaned in closer and whispered, "Just don't ask about the paint scheme."

She dumbly nodded and looked around for a place to stow her gear.

"Over here." Ro-Jan said, indicating the crew and passenger lockers, "Looks like you have your choice."

There was a measure of both relief and sadness in that statement. Tanith chose a locker and placed her gear inside it. Included were the severed halves of her father's staff. Ro-Jan watched this with some interest but remained silent. Tanith resented his perceived judgment over her sentimentality. He was a cold bastard if there were nothing dear to him as well.

The pressure hatch leading to the cockpit opened and a tall, muscular dark skinned man exited. Superficially, he reminded Tanith of the New Republican hero and rogue, Lando Calrissian. The major differences lay in that Brekk was clean-shaven and completely bald. He was, undoubtedly, one of the most striking men Tanith had ever seen. His low-key curiosity regarding her and sense of loneliness bespoke of his singleness.

_He'd make quite an attractive prize. _Tanith thought to herself.

Tanith knew those thoughts derived from her time at the Twilight Academy. She shrugged them aside and noticed Ro-Jan visibly relax. Undoubtedly, he'd been privy to her feelings and had been ready to contest her intentions. _Ha! _Tanith thought vindictively, _Fooled him._

"This," said Ro-Jan amicably, as though nothing had silently passed, "is my friend and pilot, Alaric Brekk."

"Hopefully a pleasure." Tanith outstretched her hand.

"Oho," chuckled Brekk, "a cynic."

"An astute student of life." Tanith replied a little more sharply than she'd intended.

Alaric clutched at his heart, "I'm cut to the quick."

"Enough banter." Ro-Jan commanded, "We need t'be away from here before the locals discover those bodies and ask too many questions."

"Yes, O Dark Lord." Alaric grinned, "Your merest wish is my command."

"If only it were true." Ro-Jan muttered.

"Wait and see." Brekk promised and headed back into the cockpit.

Ro-Jan eyed Tanith, "I'd suggest that y'get some rest now. There's food and drink in the cryo and the couches for sleeping."

"What are you?" Tanith blurted, "You're no Jedi and you're not a dark Jedi. What does that leave?"

Ro-Jan graced her with a benevolent smile, "I'm a Sith, darlin', same as you."

"How can that be?" Tanith was confused, "The Sith are extinct."

"Talk to my master and you'll learn." Ro-Jan promised, "Now if you'll excuse me, Alaric's good but he still requires a navigator."

"Suit yourself." Tanith shrugged. With Ro-Jan gone she opened the cryo and pulled out the fixings for a meal. She devoured it in minutes. Afterwards, she sat down on the couch. Within moments, she was lying on her side, oblivious to the happenings aboard ship.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Luke Skywalker stood looking at the holographic image of Korista Talon'Ryst and frowned, "You're certain there are no records of Tanith Irel's whereabouts?"

Korista shook her head, "No. Irel left the Twilight Academy a year before Brakkis's demise and the Academy's closure. Another student, one Gregin Fast, left in pursuit of her as soon as he healed from a violent encounter between them. There was strong suspicion that Fast had attacked Irel and she'd wounded him in self defense."

"Where did Fast proceed to?" Luke asked.

"He began his search in the Outer Rim territories beyond the Imperial Remnant." Korista answered, "However, we've thoroughly sliced the Academy's computers and helped the Order track down two dozen other Twilight students."

"Good work, all of you." Skywalker smiled, "I have a new task for you. Track down Tanith Irel and bring her to Coruscant."

"That could take years." Korista protested.

"She's in Wild Space." Luke informed her, "Her exact location is obscured to me for now. Start your search on Terrescu."

"If you've known where she was, why did we waste our time with this search?" Korista demanded angrily.

"Peace, Jedi Talon'Ryst. Draw on the Living Force and not your anger." Luke instructed, "I have a premonition, nothing more. That same premonition demands that we find her."

Korista took a deep breath and calmed herself, "I'll need help."

"Take Hobbie Ghent with you." Skywalker suggested, "He's a seasoned Jedi and an expert on coaxing data out of any database that you may encounter."

"All right." Korista sighed, "We'll leave as soon as we prep our ship."

Luke smiled benevolently, "I can't ask for anything more."

The holo image disappeared and Luke turned to his wife, Mara Jade Skywalker, "You don't approve."

Mara pursed her lips, "Korista is still too new a Jedi. She was Brakkis' student for almost three years. She never attended the Jedi Academy until you gave her a crash course three months ago. I don't trust her reactions yet."

"She was never an ardent supporter of Brakkis and when the time came, she chose the light over the dark." Luke countered.

"But her reactions are still based in the dark side." Mara insisted.

"You once served as an Emperor's Hand." Luke reminded her, "I was the right hand man of Palpatine's clone. We've all skirted the dark side. It is a choice we make every time we call on the Force. Master Yoda was one of the greatest Jedi who ever lived and even he had to be mindful not to draw on the dark side."

"Maybe." Mara folded her arms across her chest, "I still don't like it."

"Patience, My Love." Luke counseled, "All will come to pass as the Force wills it."

"This is ridiculous." Korista complained as she settled down into the co-pilot's seat. Hobbie was seated in the pilot's seat. Behind them R6-D8 plugged into the GAT-12m Skipray Blastboat's main computer and happily burbled contented whistles and toots while his crash harness settled in around him. Hobbie, his nominal master, had named him "Gremlin" and he took impish delight in his moniker.

"Maybe," Hobbie allowed, "but it must be important."

"I _knew _Tanith." Korista countered, "She simply isn't that dangerous."

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't." Hobbie reflected, "Master Skywalker says bring her to Coruscant so that's what we're going to do."

Korista rolled her eyes, "Are you always this complacent?"

"Generally." Hobbie admitted, "Now get ready. We're lifting off."

The Blastboat rose into the air and reconfigured its wings. Designed as a courier, the two gunnery station's had been removed. This allowed the designers to expand the miniscule galley/access corridor located just aft of the flight cabin. It possessed two chairs and a shared table with room enough to exercise.

Hobbie manipulated the controls and the ship rocketed out of the hangar. Once they exited Horussi's gravity well, they queried Gremlin about the coordinates of Terrescu. Getting an affirmative whistle and the navicomputer's chimed compliance, they entered hyperspace and jumped off towards Wild Space.

Tanith awoke with a start and wondered where she was. Recognizing her surroundings, she propped herself up to a seated position and glanced about the passenger area of the Imperial cutter. Not seeing anything to do, she made her way to the cockpit. There she found Ro-Jan Drea and Alaric Brekk engaged in conversation as the ship sailed through hyperspace.

"So you're awake." Ro-Jan observed, "Feelin' better now?"

Tanith nodded and then bit her lower lip, "Where are we going?"

"That'll stay a secret fer a while longer." he replied.

Tanith sighed in frustration, "Then answer this: where did you get an Imperial cutter?"

"Actually," Alaric smiled, "I'm an Imperial agent."

Tanith cast an accusing glare towards Ro-Jan, "I thought you said you weren't an Imperial."

"I'm not." Ro-Jan pointed, "_He _is."

Alaric chuckled, "My mission was to contact Wild Space colonies and start the process of strengthening ties with the Imperial Remnant."

"Your mission _was_ to contact Wild Space governments?" Tanith asked, "What's your mission now?"

Alaric glanced over towards Ro-Jan, "She's quick."

Ro-Jan remained reserved, "We'll see."

"Will someone answer my question?" Tanith implored.

"I'm operating on my own now." Brekk admitted, "The governments in Wild Space are powerless. The Sith are the real power."

"The Jedi serve the New Republic on Coruscant." Tanith protested, "Dark siders serve no one but themselves. You spoke of serving the peoples of these worlds. How can you do that and be Sith?"

"Our order was founded by a Jedi Padawan that survived Palpatine's purge of the Jedi." he elaborated, "She finished her training by exploring the dark side. She found some disciples of her own and our Rule was established."

"So what's her name?" Tanith was insatiably curious.

"Rayl Evak." Ro-Jan answered then frowned, "That's all you need t'know until we arrive at our destination."

"But…" Tanith began to protest.

"There's no 'but' girl!" Ro-Jan snapped, "I've told you too much already."

Tanith's hands dangled by Gregin's lightsaber on her belt but she subsided. Ro-Jan would have to be caught completely unawares for her to stand a chance of killing him. She was amazed by how much of her dark side teachings remained with her. Killing him presented no major moral or ethical crisis.

"Is there anything I can do up here?" Tanith probed, "There's nothing else to do."

"There's a remote in the passenger compartment." Ro-Jan said coldly, "I'd suggest practicing with that saber you've inherited."

Tanith's face twisted in fury. A particularly vile reply was on her lips but she barely restrained herself. Ro-Jan was testing her, gauging her reactions. She radiated rage but she knew not to strike. A blind attempt at revenge right now would only ensure her destruction. She could wait for the opportune time.

Ro-Jan smiled thinly, "Good. You know hate but you also know restraint. Our Rule uses their power with discretion. You've promise girl."

"Don't call me 'girl'." Tanith coldly warned him.

"Or what?" Ro-Jan laughed. His face took on a surprised look as a telekinetic chokehold seized his throat. He raised his hand and Tanith's face screwed up as her own throat tightened. She frowned and her efforts redoubled.

Ro-Jan's vision was tunneling as he began to lose consciousness. In one last desperate attempt at life, he summoned a bolt of Force lightening and hurled it at Tanith. She was thrown backwards and bounced off the bulkhead. Her grip released.

Ro-Jan released Tanith's throat as he gasped for air. He wore a smile of sheer delight, "Good fer you. You almost had me."

"I would have if you hadn't used lightening." Tanith rasped through a bruised throat.

Ro-Jan waved his hand and adopted a mocking smile, "Sith!"

"We'll revisit this moment someday." Tanith promised.

"I'd forget it if I were you lass." he advised, "I'd hate t'kill you."

"It could always go the other way." Tanith grinned cockily.

"You've spirit and a firm mastery of the Force. I'll give you that." Ro-Jan admitted, "Now get in back and polish up your sword play."

Tanith held position for a moment and Ro-Jan braced himself for another defiant outburst. Tanith's narrowed eyes relaxed and with a deep sigh she went aft. Alaric watched her go and then turned to Ro-Jan.

"She's got promise."

Ro-Jan rubbed his throat, "Aye. She's much more powerful than our usual recruit. She's also had training though. That makes a lot o' difference."

"She's also cute." Alaric grinned.

Ro-Han rolled his eyes, "Keep it in your shorts, Alaric. You didn't see the lass's last suitor. She'd turned him into a right ugly mess."

"Thanks for the warning." Brekk's grin grew, "I think I'll just wait and see where things lead on their own."

Ro-Jan shrugged, "Suit yourself. You always do."

"And don't you forget it." Alaric laughed.

Tanith activated the remote. It harmlessly hovered in the air. She gripped the pommel of "her" lightsaber in a two-handed grip and depressed the activation stud. The emerald blade snapped to life with a hiss. As she dodged and blocked the remote's stinger blasts, she reflected on what she'd sensed during Ro-Jan's battle with Gregin.

For all of Ro-Jan's pretentions to being a Sith he never drew on the dark side until he broke Gregin's neck. That puzzled Tanith. How could a Sith not always be a dark side user?

"Ya caught me darlin'." Ro-Jan drawled from behind her, "I haven't been entirely forthcomin' with you."

Tanith extinguished her blade and turned to face him, "Well?"

Ro-Jan warded off her impatience with his hands, "I'm gonna be tellin' ya stuff that the Master would want t'reveal personally. So don't let this little confessional become public knowledge. Okay?"

"I won't tell a soul." Tanith promised.

Ro-Jan shook his head, "Darlin', you broadcast like a flamin' beacon. I'm constantly aware o' what you're feelin'. Evak is even more prescient than I am. She's gonna read you and my hide'll be on the wall."

Tanith's eyes bored into his and he could feel her masking her Force presence. Her cloak impressed Ro-Jan. He was beginning to detect a pattern. She utilized the light side of the Force for mundane matters and was merely proficient in its use. She drew on the dark side for events requiring a display of power. When she did so, she shined.

"Very good. Now reverse the question: why didn't you use the dark side against your admirer?" Ro-Jan asked, "You temporarily held your own by usin' traditional Jedi techniques but your real strength is in the dark side. Why cripple yourself?"

"Because the rush of power that I feel while drawing on the dark side nearly overwhelms me. The galaxy is at my fingertips and I know it." Tanith frowned, "It's addictive and I don't want to become a slave to my weaknesses."

"By weaknesses, I suppose yer referrin' to yer emotions?" Ro-Jan wondered.

Tanith shook her head, "No. What I mean is that I don't want to cater to the weakest parts of me; the parts that will use all of the power at my disposal and use it to inflict pain and suffering on others."

"So," he said contemplatively, "yer seekin' a balance between the Jedi's martyrdom o' self sacrifice and the megalomaniacal obsession with absolute power found under the traditional teachin's o' the dark side practitioners."

Tanith began to open her mouth and then it snapped shut. It had taken that long for her to register that Ro-Jan hadn't asked a question because he already knew the answer. That disturbed her on several levels. It smacked too closely to his having travelled down a similar path.

She arched an eyebrow, "Why do I get the felling that you're trying to avoid the real topic?"

Ro-Jan rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Only slightly. Believe it or not your responses to my questions have told how much o' the truth that you're ready for."

This irritated Tanith, "Oh really? And how much is that?"

Ro-Jan tasted the bitter sarcasm behind her words and he opted for bald faced honesty, "All that I know or at least all that I can teach ya en route."

"That'd be a pleasant experience but feel free to live up to my contrary expectations." Tanith's biting remark cut deep. Ro-Jan accepted them as the price of the last few years of her life. He was here to show her that there was an alternative…even if he had to batter at her shields long enough to collapse them.

Ro-Jan hesitated and Tanith grew cross, "Well?"

"As you suspected earlier, our Sith Rule has far different priorities from the usual brand o' megalomaniacs usin' the dark side. We'retrained in the Sinherran teachings which Evak learned from a holocron entrusted to her and it embraces mastering all aspects o' the Force: light and dark. We seek mastery of both the light and dark sides of the Force." Ro-Jan revealed, "Our mission is t'use our trainin' and abilities to guard the worlds o' Wild Space and ensure peace and safety."

"You're flotzing me, right?" Tanith laughed, "Since when has a Sith ever sought to establish peace and justice?"

"It's why our Rule was founded." Ro-Jan ignored her skepticism, "The Jedi became polarized after the Sith appeared. The masters on Sinherra tried to preserve as much o' the ancient Sith wisdom as was possible. Other Jedi feared the truth gettin' out so the Sinherran masters fled into what became known as Wild Space. All the teachin' o' the Rule were preserved and sealed away, waitin' fer the prophesied apprentice to find them."

"Prophesied student?" Tanith repeated, "What happened to the Sinherran masters? Why couldn't they take on their own apprentices?"

"The survivin' masters reunited and set out to prevent the sunderin' o' the Sith." Ro-Jan recounted, "History shows that they failed. Presumably they died in the attempt to prevent the slaughter of the Sith."

"The slaughter?" Tanith hated to admit it but she was captivated by his tale.

"The event of total war between the Sith and the Jedi, the choosin' o' one path to the Force completely over the other." Ro-Jan sadly explained, "The other Sith Lords were so busy fightin' amongst themselves they never saw the Jedi comin' to kill them and afterwards the Jedi presented themselves as the holy, infallible saviors of the galaxy, never mindin' the fact that their ranks still spawned Dark Jedi."

"Even so, the Sith survive." Ro-Jan said proudly.

"Are there any other Sith Masters?" Tanith asked.

"Aye." Ro-Jan nodded, "A cyborg woman named Lumiya stayed with us fer a while. She left our group in order to search out other Sith Rules."

"You say 'cyborg' like it's a bad thing." Tanith observed.

"It's a prejudice o' mine." Ro-Jan admitted, "Cyborgs can't wield force lightning or certain other dark side talents. That limits them."

"Vader was a cyborg." Tanith protested.

"And you never heard o' him throwin' lightning now did ya?" Ro-Jan rebutted.

"No." Tanith conceded, "I never have."

A loud chime sounded three times and Tanith looked around, "What the strox was that about?"

Ro-Jan grinned, "That's Alaric's subtle way of summonin' us to the cockpit."

"'Us'?" Tanith immediately pounced upon the word, "You've spent this entire trip trying to keep me out of the cockpit. Why are you so anxious for me to go now?"

Ro-Jan shrugged, "You don't have to."

"Oh, yes I do!" Tanith charged past him straight towards the cockpit.

Ro-Jan enjoyed the smile that radiated on his face.

Korista stepped into the _Lightray's_ cockpit. She had no idea how the Skipray had earned such a moniker nor was she inclined to find out. As it was, she was trying to get back into the co-pilot's seat without attracting undue attention.

Gremlin happily tootled to himself as he piloted the ship but Hobbie glanced sideways as Korista retook her seat. She dabbed at her face with the towel draped around her neck and took in the view. They'd been in hyperspace for almost twelve hours now but the unreality of it still mesmerized Talon'Ryst. Her eyes drifted away from the cockpit viewport and she noted that Hobbie was dutifully studying her.

"What?" she asked with all affected innocence.

"How was your workout?" Hobbie genially asked.

"Fine." Korista answered warily.

"How many remotes did you use?" Hobbie asked.

"All three of them." Korista's suspicions grew.

"And they overwhelmed you so you drew on the dark side to defeat them." Hobbie announced.

Korista grew plaintive, "It was pure instinct."

"How many of the remotes are still usable?" Hobbie sighed.

"One'll never work again but the other two are repairable." Korista guiltily answered.

Hobbie rose and stretched, "Cover the cockpit and I'll take care of it."

"But…but…" Korista stammered but Hobbie was already gone. She rested against the headrest provided by her crash seat. She'd known Hobbie would sense a tremor in the Force as she drew on the dark side. She'd expected lectures, reprimands, and even threats…but not complacent acceptance. He hadn't said a word.

What she'd felt was far more condemning. Hobbie's only feeling on the matter was disappointment. He'd eked out rivulets of disappointment. All that and he'd actually been trying to mask his mask his feelings from her.

Hobbie had been a Jedi Knight for about a year when the Twilight Academy collapsed after Brakkis' death. Korista had seen through the veil of her Dark Jedi instruction and was valiantly endeavoring to use the light side while trying to prevent her fellow students from fleeing Horussi. Those efforts had failed.

Hobbie Ghent had been foremost among the Jedi that rescued her. After her instruction with Master Skywalker, Hobbie had volunteered to return to Horussi and assist Korista with tracking down the missing students. Hobbie had taken her occasional lapses in stride. This latest indulgence, however, had been the most startling yet.

Korista had enjoyed drawing on the dark side. The rush of pure, unadulterated power had come like an old friend. She'd been loathe to relinquish it but a quiet corner of her mind had asserted itself and brought Korista back to the light. It had still come as a disappointment. The guilt had come later.

An hour passed and then two. Talking to Gremlin only went so far when you didn't understand Astromech. She'd even extended her antennapalps. Despite being gifted with the hearing enhancing stalks due to her Balosar physiology, Korista preferred to retract them and hide them amongst her thick, coarse violet hair.

Korista was about to create a connection with Hobbie through the Force when the door to the cockpit opened. Hobbie entered in and he wore a smile. If he noticed Korista's antenna retracting, he didn't say anything. Korista had passed herself for near human for so long that these behaviors had become ingrained.

"Well," he grinned, "two of the remotes are working just as predicted. The third would've but I cannibalized it for parts."

Korista blinked in confusion, "But the spare parts bin…?"

Hobbie chuckled, "Someone or something likes you, Kori. The parts for the remotes has been swapped out and replaced with lightsaber components. Either we've been blessed with unique fortune or someone more attuned to the Force than either of us is warning us there'll be trouble ahead."

"I hope not." Korista admitted and then she hesitated, "You've never called me that before."

Hobbie was perplexed, "Called you what before?"

"Kori." Korista explained, "You've never been overly formal but you've never used the familiar form of my name either."

Hobbie went completely awkward, "I didn't mean to presume… Look I'll call you whatever you want just don't…"

Korista laughed, "Hobbie, I didn't mind. Why don't _you_ call me whatever you're comfortable with."

Hobbie squirmed, "Okay."

She reached out with the Force and she could sense his discomfort, "Tell you what, why don't you go to the galley and whip up a couple of meals?"

Hobbie couldn't hide his relief, "Sure! Any preferences?"

"I'll take a slice of nerf if we have any." Korista brightened, "lightly braised, please."

Hobbie looked more confused than ever and Korista smiled, "It's okay, Hobbie."

_That _snapped him back to awareness, "What's okay?"

"Everything." Korista cheerfully assured him.

"Right." Although Ghent agreed, his dubious tone indicated that for him the crisis was far from over.

As Hobbie exited the cockpit, Korista let her imagination wander. Based upon what she sensed swirling around Hobbie's angst ridden heart and his eagerness to always provide support for her…she guessed he was somewhat smitten. She thought it was sweet but she didn't see how it could work. As she'd evidenced earlier, she was a volatile powder keg and Hobbie was just too… lovable. She'd use him up in a day.

She liked Hobbie, she truly did. He'd unexpectedly become one of her closest friends. He was almost like a brother except Hobbie was kind and caring whereas her natural kin had been rather brutal. Judging by Hobbie's lack of customary confidence he sensed it too. Hopefully that would mean the inevitable conversation regarding this topic would go smoothly.

_Or maybe not_. She miserably thought as she caught a flash of anguish from Hobbie.

Gremlin plaintively warbled and Korista studied him. The little droid was highly attuned to Ghent's feelings. Maybe he'd know a way to console his master.

"So what's this tub's name?" Tanith asked as she settled into an aft crash seat.

"She was the _Implacator_." Alaric answered and patted the helm, "Now she's the _Saberstaff_."

"Saberstaff as in the lightsaber variant with two blades?" Tanith had to ask.

"Yep." Brekk grinned, "I had a dream once that I was going to fall madly in love with a woman wielding a saberstaff."

"And I've told ya it's a buncha fluff from some adolescent fantasy ya grew up with." Ro-Jan growled.

Alaric frowned, "How is that possible when I had the dream while I was a cadet in flight school and depictions of the Jedi were outlawed?"

"I don't know." Ro-Jan grumbled, "It just has to be that's all."

"Some all powerful Dark Lord." Alaric chortled and jerked his thumb towards Drea.

Ro-Jan remained subdued so Tanith intervened, "I'd heed his cautionary words, Alaric. Force sensitives rarely give unwarranted counsel."

Alaric's merriment faded. He busied himself with the approach towards the third planet from the system's primary. Under his guidance the _Saberstaff_ descended into the planet's atmosphere.

Ro-Jan looked back, "Welcome to Trian. I hope you like it."

Tanith couldn't help smiling, "The clouds! They look like they're on fire!"

"We're chasing the sunset." Alaric explained, "It'll finally settle down when we land."

Personally, Tanith judged the multihued sun to be a yellow dwarf. That meant that this world stood a good chance of being a Coruscant-norm planet, at least what the norm had been before Coruscant was entirely built over. She'd been on worlds and moons like that before and they were stunning.

The cutter descended below the clouds and Tanith caught sight of huge forests ringing small clearings. Mighty rivers and lakes nestled their way through the terrain. The forests in turn hemmed majestic peaks and the ship slowed and came to rest at the base of a mountain. Tanith craned to see the aerial firestorm as it began to fade.

"There's our destination." Ro-Jan redirected her focus. The _Saberstaff _had come to rest before a multi-towered castle. Other ships also littered the clearing stretched out before the structure.

None of the ships were less than twenty-five years old. They all predated the Battle of Yavin. Tanith was no starhopper but she imagined that she could fly every craft down there. Some were almost as dilapidated as the small freighter that had enabled her to travel to Terrescu. She wondered if her former employers would still use the ravaged old hulk in the wake of her disappearance. While most freighter captains and crew were filled with worlds' weary savvy, the largely inexperienced crews from Terrescu were prone to superstition.

_Come to think of it,_ Tanith cheerfully mused, _the whole population was._

Ro-Jan cast a sidelong glance her way and she remembered that she must be broadcasting her feelings. Irritation gave her the anger she needed to quell her Force presence and saw his immediate relief. This only angered her more. She irritably realized this would give her the wherewithal to block this Rayl Evak's probes.

Brekk finished the landing cycled and then secured the helm, "We're home!"

"C'mon," Ro-Jan rose and held out a hand, "let's get yer belongin's outta the lockers and go do the meet and greet."

Tanith accepted his hand, "You make it sound sooo pleasant."

Ro-Jan grinned, "Don't I though? Don't worry. Yer a guest so they'll go easy on ya."

"Who's worried?" Tanith murmured. She had a vague sensation that those words also had a historical relevance. She chided herself on falling prey to her fears and letting her fantasies run wild. Still…if her experience while dueling Gregin was any indication her foreboding may have some relevant purpose. She just hadn't figured out what any of these purposes might be.

As she strode down the _Saberstaff's_ boarding ramp she took a deep breath of fresh, nonrecycled air. It was full of smells that she associated with Endor. Tanith went there as part of a field exercise with the Jedi Praxeum. She'd found it, and the native Ewoks, to be delightful. One of them named Wicket even spoke Basic having learned it from an ill fated family that had crashed upon his world.

Tanith brushed her memories aside and took in the view of the castle. It was built upon a promontory jutting out from the base of the mountain. A trail of lights led up to its main gate. The flickering movement of the lights suggested that they were produced by torches.

It was an eerie scene made all the more surreal by the currents of the Force surrounding this place. Both the light and dark sides of the Force were in play, swirling and mingling together. Tanith was intrigued and suddenly longed to see what was afoot. She looked back towards Ro-Jan and he smiled.

"We'll do our best to hurry." He assured her.

Bolstered by that promise, Tanith purposefully moved down the ramp and set foot on Trianni soil.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Gremlin whistled forlornly upon seeing Terrescu for the first time.

"You said it, old buddy." Hobbie softly replied, "This planet _is _out of a ghost story."

"Talking about the pervasive fog or the general feel to the place?" Korista wondered, "Everyone's staring at us and they're scared."

"Well, our Jedi cloaks aren't giving us away because everyone is wearing a cloak." Hobbie pointed out and then suggested, "Why don't you peruse some of the local shops and pick up some supplies and souvenirs. While you're at it, strike up a conversation or two and find out about Tanith."

"Why me?" Korista demanded.

"A pretty face goes further." Hobbie replied.

"Wait a minute…" Korista began to protest.

"Kori, if you're going to say you're not that pretty, remember this: You're beautiful compared to me." Hobbie patiently argued, "So get!"

At first, Korista gaped at Hobbie's calling her beautiful. She feared the emotional backlash this could inspire. After a moment, she was vaguely disappointed to continue to sense mild indifference on his part. Only after that realization did she register that he called her by her familiar name.

He was engaged and he was playful but there was no sense of wanting. There was no urgency, only calm. She wondered how he could immerse himself in the Force and find joy.

All Korista found in the Force was turmoil. She'd been a powerful Dark Jedi, one to be feared. She felt useless as a traditional Jedi. Her temperament and skill sets were not geared for the life of a penitent knight always willing to sacrifice and be humbled.

Still, trusting in Hobbie's insights into the local situation she went back into their refueling craft and retrieved a coin purse. Korista left the one filled with Republican credits behind. The locals here brandished Imperial trade goods. Seeing how close they were to the Imperial Remnant versus their distance from the New Republic, she found it an easy reality to embrace.

Korista strolled past Hobbie and Gremlin and made her way to the edge of the hangar complex before asking for directions. Hobbie was amazed at how fast the fellow fell all over himself to oblige the "little lady". He wondered how long Kori, yes…he still thought of her as Kori, would last before she punched someone right in their paternalistic eye. Korista couldn't tolerate sexism even in its kindest forms.

"Stay and watch things Gremlin." Hobbie suggested, "I'll get the credits."

Gremlin warbled and Hobbie grinned, "Yes, I'm pretty sure Kori left with our Imperial coins but we still have bank notes."

Gremlin happily tootled and then gave one last interrogative note.

Hobbie smiled, "Everything's fine, Gremlin. Kori and I just had to reach an understanding. We've done that. Life will progress from there."

Gremlin responded with a loud _blat_.

"No," Hobbie scolded, "I'm not better off without her. She's a valued friend and a trusted comrade in arms. She's just not ready to be anything more than that. I can accept that."

Gremlin let out a series of musical notes and Hobbie laughed, "Exactly. She may never change her mind but that doesn't mean I can't wait around until _I_ do."

"If you can spare a moment," the refueling tech looked indifferent to the conversation between human and droid, "I'm done. I just need to log in your payment and we can release the clamps from your landing gear."

"Let me get it." Hobbie gladly replied, "Gremlin, keep the man company."

The tech eyed Gremlin over, "R6 unit, huh? You remind me of my old R5. Can't say he was a winner."

The tech felt something warm on his leg and he looked down to see a glob of grease trailing down his pant leg, "Blast it! That's what would happen with that flotzed up R5 too!"

"What would happen?" Hobbie asked apparently materializing out of thin air. He spied Gremlin's handiwork, "Gremlin! What have I told you?"

Gremlin innocently warbled. Hobbie frowned, "Yes, _you_. Apologize. Right now."

Gremlin emitted a series of defiant whistles. Hobbie crossed his arms over his chest, "So you're not going to? Fine. You'll be staying in the ship for the rest of the trip."

Gremlin let out a baleful noise and rotated his head so he now faced the fuelling tech. A string of whistles, toots, beeps, and bleats followed. Hobbie grinned.

"He says he's sorry." Hobbie informed the injured party.

The tech was still suspicious, "What else did he say?"

"It was very flowery but he complimented you on your looks, your sense of authority, and your intelligence." Hobbie managed to keep a straight face.

"All right." The tech looked mollified, "That'll be two thousand credits."

Hobbie gulped, "Two _thousand_?"

"Yep." The tech grew apprehensive again, "We're out at the edge of the known galaxy. Fuel tankers don't like to come out here. Costs `em money. They pass that along to us and we pass it along to the customer. You _can _pay, can't you?"

Hobbie doled out two thousand credits and handed them over. He wanted to accuse the tech of padding the bill yet the Force told him the man was being completely honest. Miserably he calculated that they could only refuel three or four more times at these prices and then they'd either have to find someone willing to accept Republican credits or find some way to raise the cash.

"Good for you that you had this." The tech assured him, "Local ordinance says we get to seize the ships of nonpaying customers and sell `em at auction."

"What's the docking fee going to be?" Hobbie grimaced.

"Not to worry." The tech actually smiled, "You get three day's free parking with a refueling."

"That's a relief." Hobbie gratefully replied.

"Usually is." The tech chuckled and went away to secure his equipment.

"I hope Kori is having better luck." Hobbie commented as he rested a hand on Gremlin's head.

Korista wandered between shops and stalls. She'd picked up several native fruits for her and Hobbie to try. She'd also acquired a new outfit, something rugged, like all the native clothes. As she entered a tapcafe, she noted that a crowd of women were gathered around a central table. Korista perused the counter and finally ordered a sandwich and a hot cup of caf. Easing herself into a nearby table, she began to eavesdrop.

"I don't like it." The Gran ringleader said, "Those foreigners just arrived in the night, killed that man, and did who knows what with the girl."

"At least they think she had time to pack." A younger Ryn woman said, "I knew Tanith. She wouldn't willingly leave without her things."

"Wait a minute!" Korista bolted out of her seat and headed right for the younger woman, "You _knew _Tanith Irel?"

"I…I…" the woman stammered.

"You'd better tell her, Vretti." The Gran woman said, "Otherwise she'll make a fuss."

Vretti glared at her, "Easy for you to say Beeta. You're not facing her down."

"I'll only ask nicely once. Did you or did you not know Tanith Irel?" Korista repeated.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Vretti grew suspicious, "Maybe you're like the ones they have locked up in the cells. You're as much a stranger as them."

Korista scowled, "So you're not going to tell me?"

"No." Vretti was feeling defiant and Korista was becoming angered.

"Fine." Korista made a decision. She passed her hand in front of Vretti's face, "You _will_ tell me all you know about Tanith Irel."

Vretti's face took on a numb expression, "Yes, I will tell you what I know."

"You knew Tanith?" Korista began her interrogation.

"We worked together at Talbor's Shipping office." Vretti reported, "She was nice but she kept to herself."

Korista fielded a series of routine questions and then asked, "Did she arrive here alone?"

"Yes." Vretti slowly nodded, "She came alone and stayed alone…except at the end I guess."

"What do you mean?" Korista sought clarification.

"Dreb, he's my boyfriend, and he's a constable, he says they've queried all the other towns and provinces on Terrescu and there's been no sign of her. A ship landed and took off that night and they assume that she was on it."

"And no one saw anything?" Korista's frustration laced every word.

"No one but the old widow Watley." Vretti smiled, "But she's always telling stories."

"Tell me how to find her." Korista impatiently demanded. Vretti did and Korista released her mind. She downed her caf, grabbed her purchases and the rest of her sandwich and strode out of the tapcafe. Behind her she heard Beeta describing what had transpired as some kind of "Jedi thing".

_Close, _Korista mentally winced, _try a Dark Jedi thing._

The Jedi may lightly influence the weak willed, Korista knew, but only the Dark Jedi and the Sith tampered with memories. Memory extractions, like the one she'd performed, were fairly tame but they still violated the individual. _A year ago_, she mentally laughed and corrected herself, _six months ago such trivialities wouldn't have bothered me but now they did. _

_Somewhat belatedly, _she realized. _ But they eventually bother me._ Korista inwardly sighed.

Before proceeding to the widow Watley's place, Korista grabbed her commlink and called Hobbie, "Hobbie, are you there?"

"Yeah," Hobbie's tone was wry, "I'm financially destitute but I'm still here."

"Sell Gremlin." Korista laughed, "That should partially reimburse the expense account."

Hobbie chuckled. Gremlin's protests were being broadcast loud and clear. Hobbie decided to get serious, "Anything to report?"

"Tanith _was _here but she's gone now." Korista explained, "The local constabulary is holding three assailants that were found in Tanith's rented accommodations. There was also a corpse."

"But I take it there was no Tanith Irel." Hobbie correctly surmised.

"Correct." Korista confirmed, "There's a local witness that I've located. I'm about to approach her. That leaves the three toughs for you."

"I get all the fun jobs." Hobbie groused.

"Yes, but I don't think a pretty face would work on them." Korista relished her revenge, "Bye!"

She signed off and stared at the lodgings that Vretti had steered her to. Korista studied them for a moment. They were quite large compared to most that she'd seen about. The oft dismissed widow Watley was obviously a local person of some substance. The two storied house was someone's idea of extravagance.

Korista had been born into the slums of Balosar. The industrial wastes had reinforced and bolstered her natural immunity to toxins. She'd been transported off of her homeworld at a young age by a relief agency seeking to give her a brand new start. Their goal, though laudable, had been doomed to failure from the start.

Korista had stayed too long in the pervasive despair rampant amongst her people. She attended the best academies but her insecurities prevented her from excelling. The prejudices of other species towards her only fuelled her growing anger. She graduated university with a degree in her much beloved field of archeology, intending to wile away her days in the remotest of places. Brakkis changed all of that.

She'd been on Dathomir researching the Jedi ark that had crashed there. Brakkis came to recruit Nightsisters to his cause. He recruited several, including his future lieutenant, Tamith Kai, and the Force witches led him to Korista.

Brakkis's sudden and unexpected appearance startled her but not half as much as his offer. He offered her the power to take the galaxy. Driven by her intense anger, Korista agreed. She became one of the first students of the adult oriented Twilight Academy and there she finally excelled.

Korista shrugged these reflections aside and approached the residence's primary entrance. The door slid aside and an elderly Balosar woman stood before her. Her antenna were extended high above her head and they bore earrings as did her ears. Watley wore a gown of the finest cloths available.

"I heard about you, dearie." Watley smiled, "I was wondering when you'd pay a call."

Seeing Korista's stunned expression, Watley's smile broadened, "Didn't know that you weren't alone on this pile of rock? Doesn't matter. I'm harmless enough…at least to you."

"How…how…" Korista stammered.

"Get in if you're coming inside." Watley waved her on, "I don't want the neighbors poking their noses into my affairs."

A wry smile twisted Korista's lips, "Like you do theirs?"

"Of course." Watley smiled, "No one hates a snoop like a snoop. Are you coming in or what?"

Korista shook her head but she proceeded forward, "I'm gonna regret this."

She entered the domicile and Watley closed the door behind her, "You can drop the act in here. There's no one to see you aren't human."

Korista blushed but she responded by extending her antennapalps. Watley beamed, "Isn't that better?"

Korista hated to admit it, even to herself, but it _was_ better. She was tired of all the endless hiding. She smiled, "I guess it is an improvement."

Watley shook her head in disgust, "I _guess_? Honestly, it's like pulling teeth."

"Sorry." Korista murmured, "It's just become such a habit."

"Don't they instill you Jedi with any confidence?" Watley demanded and then she raised an eyebrow, "Or are you a Dark Jedi? From your little performance at Tesse's tapcafe I'd be hard pressed to figure you for a Jedi."

Korista remained wrapped in silence. Watley wore a sly grin, "So…_that's _your little secret. No need to be ashamed, dear. We all have them."

Watley led her into a parlor, "Can I get you something? Some juice or caf?"

"I'd kill for some caf." Korista confessed, "My last cup was a hit and run operation."

Watley chuckled, "Before I attend to your basic needs I have to ask, do you have any Death Sticks?"

Korista wrinkled her nose in disgust, "No. I've never touched them."

Watley nodded, "Good for you. I had to kick the habit years ago and I still won't allow temptation into my house."

"I've never heard on anyone being able to get off of Death Sticks." Korista was amazed. The addictive, and lethal, properties of the drug were well known. Only her people could survive prolonged use. The addiction, though, was crippling. Watley was to be commended if she'd truly kicked the habit.

"Okay," Korista's smile was finally genuine, "I'm impressed. I have to know, what's your full name? I can't imagine a Balosar sister named Watley."

Watley laughed, "My complete name is Arla Shrin'shok Watley. Watley, of course, is my married named. My husband was a human."

"You married a human?" Korista was surprised.

"I became the concubine of a mid-level manager in the Seinar production facility back home. It got me off the production line and into some coin."

"But…he was an _exploiter_!" Korista protested.

Watley laughed, "So was I. His human wife died and I replaced her. He never realized that I poisoned her. He always thought that it was Balosar's environment that did her in."

"Did you kill him?" Korista was morbidly fascinated.

"No." Watley's expression grew pensive, "No, for all of his faults, he really did love me. I suppose that's why I followed him out here when he wanted to retire on the 'frontier'."

"Couldn't he choose the Outer Rim or even the Corporate Sector Authority?" Korista wondered.

Watley shook her head, "Too 'civilized' I'm afraid."

"Ah." Korista wore a knowing smile, "He was being male."

"Exactly." Watley agreed, "Let me get on with getting your drink, missy."

As Watley disappeared into the depths of her house, all the while calling for some domestic or another, Korista reflected on her impressions through the Force…and the intuitive capabilities of her antenna. Watley was being forthright with her, painfully so, and she wanted to be even more candid but she was waiting for Korista to open up as well. As Watley returned to the parlor with two steaming mugs, Korista committed herself.

She accepted her offered mug with thanks and smelled it. Her eyebrows went up in surprise, "Fresh?"

Watley looked positively indulgent as she seated herself, "I loathe that reconstituted drivel. Take a seat. I won't bite, or have you deduced that already?"

Korista took a sip from her caf before answering, "Yes, I have. This is terrific by the way! I've been surviving off of dehydrated blends for months now. The local tapcafe only had rehydrated derivatives. I thought I was going to go mad. You have _nooo_ idea how much of a treat this is. I'm grateful."

"As long as you're grateful, tell me something about your past. Spare me the embarrassing bits. Just tell me how you ended up here."

Korista hesitated, trying to collect her thoughts, and then she told her story of leaving Balosar and off being raised on Corellia. She talked about growing up, being an outcast, and of eventually going to university. Her graduation came up as well as her first posting at a dig. Brakkis and the Nightsisters were unavoidable and she related her experience with the Twilight Academy.

Her story turned when she described the Jedi raid that disrupted the academy. She spoke about turning against her fellows and opting to help the Jedi. She bitterly laughed as she spoke of how futile her efforts were. Then she confided in Watley of how difficult it was trying to balance her dark side impulses.

Watley absorbed all of this and then whistled, "Sounds like you've faced the same demons every Balosar that's left home has squared off against. You're just more outwardly destructive about it. Cheer up, girl, you're a survivor. The hardest part is over and now you're just stick with playing out the rest."

"I don't think you understand." Korista stressed, "I'm a _lousy_ Jedi."

"So don't be a Jedi." Watley suggested, "Be something fun."

"Like what?" Korista asked.

"Take me for instance," Watley smiled, "I'm a lousy widow so I became an assassin and an informant instead."

Korista sputtered, "Wh…what?"

"Don't be so surprised, dear." Watley was nonchalant, "With our immunities and our antenna-born gifts, we're natural born killers. Most of us are just too desperate to think of it."

"Obviously you did." Korista muttered.

Watley shrugged, "Two rival pirate clans are based here. Arnee used to handle their banking. When he died, I took over. I'm not much of an investor though. One captain saw a unique opportunity in hiring me to serve a meal shared by the two pirate captains. Every course would be sampled by myself to test for toxins. The least likely serving would be lethal and I would have lulled the victim into complacency."

"I take it Arnee was your husband?" Korista wondered.

"Of course." Watley grew wistful, "Arla and Arnee. We were quite the couple."

"I truly believe you were." Korista said with meaning, "Was that your only assassination?"

"No." Watley laughed, "That was just the beginning. Do you realize that no one pays attention to a 'harmless' little old lady?"

"Yes, I have noticed that phenomenon." Korista admitted.

"The word's out on me though," Watley's enthusiasm dimmed, "so I had to turn to surveillance instead. Would you believe that I can watch the whole town from here?"

"Wouldn't that require specialized equipment?" Korista inquired.

"Got it!" Watley bubbled, "Captain Kurdos of the Nightflyers provides all of my gear. He, of course, is also my principal employer."

Korista didn't want to ask who her other employers were, "You've said that you saw Tanith Irel leave Terrescu. How did she leave and was she under duress?"

"Follow me." Watley instructed, "I'll show you."

The widow led Korista to a small service room buried next to the underground pantry. It contained a surveillance and reconnaissance suite worthy of Coruscant Security. Watley took a seat and then activated the main monitor.

"I can watch the entire planet with this baby through my remotes." Korista could sense the pride behind Watley's words, "Mostly, I center on Ceratown…that's here…since the spaceport is located here. The visitors of importance congregate here as a result."

Korista noted the _Lightray_ prominently displayed in a smaller monitor, "Like my friend and I."

Watley nodded, "I suspected as much and I was right. Here's the Irel girl."

The picture was enhanced due to it being shot at night. Tanith looked wary…but distracted. She stopped to study the lock on her door and then the door rolled aside.

"You'll note that she didn't use the lock's keypad." Watley pointed out, "Makes me think that there's some alternate means of entry. It would explain why all the young men around here were defeated."

"What do you mean?" Korista didn't like the last note in Watley's voice.

"It's a game the strapping young bucks around here play." Watley's antenna were picking up Korista's agitation, "When a provincial girl moves here, they take turns sneaking into her room and having their way with her."

"You mean rape." Korista coldly clarified.

Watley released a weary sigh, "Yeah, that too. Your friend was never touched though. No one could figure out how to get into her warehouse."

"They would have found it nearly impossible to overpower her as well." Korista growled.

"You sound as if you admire her." Watley opined.

Korista shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe I do. All the time we were training together I thought she was weak because she didn't want to wholly commit to the dark side. She fought for her life and then ran for it. I waited until the day to fight the Jedi came and then I sided with them. Who's the coward?"

The elderly Watley scrutinized Korista in a fresh new light, "Does there have to be a coward? Couldn't it just be a case of two young women doing what they had to do to survive?"

Korista closed her eyes and tried to draw strength from the Force. She found none as she shook her head and answered Watley, "I don't think so."

"I'm sorry, my dear. I think you'll find your way. It will just take longer than you want." Watley tried to reassure her. Changing the subject, she pointed at a mid-size screen, "Pay attention to this lout."

"Enhance that image." Korista was suddenly commanding, having left all doubts behind.

A familiar, if scarred, visage stared back at her.

"Gregin Fast." Came out between Korista's clenched teeth.

"You know him?" Watley wondered.

"He is…_was_… the only one of our group of Dark Jedi that could threaten me." Korista explained, "He's why Tanith was running."

"Well, he strolls through town after landing at the spaceport." Watley summarizes, "He's as bold and loud as they come all the way until he stops _here_."

Korista's eyes followed where Watley was pointing to and she found herself gazing at Gregin standing before Tanith's door. He waved his hand and the door rolled aside. Korista was consumed with anger. She let her anger blossom and her heart and mind swirled in hate. Unbeknownst to her, her hands were wrapped in Force lightning.

Watley found her voice, "Would you please stop that? One spark and you could ruin all of my equipment."

Korista swallowed her hate but her anger continued to simmer, "Can you show me what happened inside?"

Cautiously, Watley answered, "No, but I can show you what else was occurring at the same time."

She pointed at a trio of swoops exiting the docking slip where Gregin's ship was moored. They went high and only descended again to fly through the skylight at Tanith's warehouse, "Those are the three toughs the Constabulary has in the cells. They were the worse for wear when found."

"This oddity also began to occur." Watley pointed at a static filled screen. The picture would return to normal and show nothing of consequence and then the next monitor in line would lose resolution.

"Flotz me!" Korista gasped, "That's occlusion."

"What?" Watley was confused.

"It's a Jedi technique." Korista explained, "You warp the audio and visual feed of electronic monitors. It's a favorite method of dark siders since they usually don't want to be seen."

"I thought our boy Gregin was a Dark Jedi?" Watley sought clarification.

"He is, was, but he's also arrogant." Korista remarked, "He wants the galaxy to watch him. I wonder who this is?"

"You find out in a bit." Watley returned her undivided attention to the main screen. Nothing occurred there except a burst of static.

A ship landed and Watley chuckled, "That one caught me cold both times it landed. I must be getting old."

Korista waited on pins and needles until an imposing figure in black strode out the front door followed by Tanith. She was sporting a swollen lip and was clutching a duffel bag. This Tanith was a different one from Korista's memories. She appeared confident, self assured, and willing to trade barbs with an obviously lethal stranger even though she was dead on her feet. Korista found herself rooting for the underdog.

Korista gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "That's an Imperial cutter, an old one, but a cutter nonetheless. They're used when the stealth requirements of a mission exceed the abilities of a standard dropship."

"Did you find what you needed?" Watley asked.

"Yes." Korista nodded, "Yes, I think I did…and a little more besides."

"You can thank me by telling me how to reach you on the HoloNet." Watley smiled, "It's always nice to have a friend."

Korista sensed genuine warmth there so she gave the widow the information.

"Now, I think your near-human friend is looking for you." Watley informed her. Korista could see Hobbie wandering Ceratown's streets.

"What do you mean 'near-human'?" Korista wondered.

"His genome is a specialized variant of baseline human DNA." Watley smiled, "I would have thought you would have noticed those rippling muscles and predatory eyes."

"Predatory?" Korista couldn't buy it, "Hobbie?"

Watley replied with a knowing nod, "Keep a sharp eye on him, my dear, a very careful eye indeed."

"Okay." Korista flippantly agreed.

"I'm warning you girl." Watley stressed, "He has the look of death around him."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The fateful trio had trekked up the torch lit path to the castle's main gate. Two dark cloaked sentries stood outside the gate. Their clothes resembled Ro-Jan's but they were also unique to the individual. Tanith felt them reach out with the Force in order to probe her. She secreted herself beneath the Force and they sensed nothing.

The shorter, and more aggressive of the two, blocked their path, "Where do you think you are taking this _mundane_?"

"I keep tellin' you Telrik, no one is mundane…`cept maybe _you_." Ro-Jan smartly remarked back to the Shishtaranen Jedi.

The lupine Sith bared his teeth and tensed up. His Bith companion intervened, "Calm down Rav. Ro-Jan is just teasing."

"That's right, Telrik." Ro-Jan agreed, "I'm just kiddin'. Thanks fer the assist Arlo."

Arlo opened one of the massive doors and Ro-Jan and Alaric ushered Tanith inside. They made it into the castle by several meters when Tanith whirled on Ro-Jan.

"_That's _your Sith Rule?" she angrily demanded, "I could get a warmer greeting from the Dark Jedi I used to study with!"

Ro-Jan reached out to her but she jerked away. She backed into Alaric. He put his strong hands on her shoulders and gently squeezed. Although still upset, she accepted his reassurance.

"Tanith," Ro-Jan pleaded, "Rav Telrik is a Shishtaranen. They don't like anyone but one o' their own. He's rude but he keeps his temper in check."

"Tell her about that Aqualish lady Evak tried to bring into the fold." Alaric suggested.

Ro-Jan shot Brekk an annoyed glare, "Master Evak attempted to train a female Aqualish. The poor soul's temper worked against her and she was consumed by the dark side. We had to drive her out of the castle and into the waiting arms of the Trianni."

"That species sounds familiar somehow…" Tanith frowned.

"Twenty odd years ago, the felinoid Trianni repulsed an invasion force sent by the Corporate Sector Authority." Alaric took over explaining, "The Trianni were famed for their Ranger divisions. The battles were fierce but even handed despite the Authority's numerical superiority. The CSA's effort petered out when costs began to rise and the Emperor took notice that his allies were too weak to conquer a string of border worlds. They secured a few colony worlds but Trian itself was left free."

Ro-Jan resumed, "Rayl Evak joined the Trianni Rangers durin' the war and earned the natives' trust and admiration. They'd always allowed her t'live in the castle out o' pity but this went one step beyond. They went from amused indifference to actively protectin' her. The Trianni prevented the Corporates from findin' her through the years as the Espos scoured near space lookin' for survivin' Jedi."

"Espos?" Tanith asked.

It was Alaric's turn again, "The Authority's policing and military wing. After the Empire fractured and the CSA was left without outside military support, the Trianni launched a crusade to free their colonies."

"I take it they were successful?" Tanith inquired.

Alaric grinned, "They certainly were. They liberated Trian's colony worlds as well as half a dozen other Corporate conquests. The CSA settled with a treaty. They saw paying reparations as being less expensive than fighting another war."

"Good for them." Tanith verbally applauded.

"Our Master also fought in that second war." Ro-Jan informed her, "Her deeds won her the active support o' the locals. They provide supplies, ships, and o' course, more protection. They've also supplied more than their fair share o' recruits."

"I'm not taking another step until I get a few more answers." Tanith warned her guides.

Ro-Jan heaved a weary sigh while Brekk beamed, "What d'you want t'know?"

"With all of this fighting and hiding, how did this Rayl Evak ever find time to recruit and train anyone?" she wondered.

"Don't worry, I think I can handle this, Ro-Jan." an amused feminine voice said from behind him.

Tanith's hand dropped to her inherited lightsaber as Ro-Jan moved aside to giver a clear view of the speaker. A middle aged Twi'lek woman stood there studying Tanith. Her appraisal was cool. Her demeanor _and _her presence in the Force gave nothing away. After a moment's silence, the woman smiled.

"I'm impressed. You can dampen your presence in the Force to almost nothing. It takes a lot to baffle my senses and yet you're succeeding." The Twi'lek admitted, "I'm Rayl Evak by the way."

Tanith bowed her head slightly but she never took her eyes off of Evak nor did she remove her hand from her lightsaber. Evak frowned and lifted a graceful hand. Tanith's saber leapt off of her belt and into Evak's waiting hand. She studied it for a moment before her frown deepened.

"Elegant weapon but it isn't yours, I think." Evak surmised, "Care to explain how you came to wield this one?"

"My lightsaber was destroyed in my battle with the Dark Jedi, Gregin Fast. Ro-Jan killed him and gave me Gregin's saber." Tanith explained.

Evak approached Tanith and returned Gregin's saber to her, "I think you'll be able to spare a moment or two to craft another while you're here with us. In fact, you can begin tomorrow. We have plenty of components and crystals lying around."

"I…um…thank you." Tanith wondered what Evak would want of her in return.

As though she had sensed this, Evak replied with, "Such a hard thing to say. Your soul must truly be weary. I trust you will be able to nurture your wounds and find solace here. Even if you decide to move on later, you'll need some rest before you can travel."

Tanith nodded, "I appreciate the offer."

An amused smile crept across Evak's lips, "But you wonder what the hidden costs are."

Tanith blushed and Evak waved the matter aside with her hand, "Enough of this. Let's present you to the others and then you can be shown to your quarters."

"But my questions…" Tanith's voice trailed off.

"I'll address those tomorrow." Evak promised, "Come now, we're having a celebration of sorts and you're invited."

"What are you celebrating?" Tanith asked.

"Embracing the totality of the Force _and_ we have special cause to celebrate tonight." Evak said with an evil twinkle in her eye.

"What reason is that?" Tanith wondered.

"We get to welcome you." Evak delightedly laughed.

Four hours later, Tanith's things had been taken from her and taken to "her" room. Her face hurt from sporting her ever present fake smile. It had been heartfelt a few times during the evening but they were rare and fleeting. She felt as though she were back on Bakura doing political grunt work. She hated that feeling.

Tanith was employing a mnemonic technique taught her in primary school. She associated every face and name to an animal back home. Some of the mental imagery wasn't flattering but at least Tanith could remember the sentient's name.

So far, there had been Tan Lungress the Ithorian, Bennii Vrostif the Gotal, Peeta the Rodian, a Nautolan named Tress Marnis, and a Togruta named Seetha Ki. All of these encounters had been pleasant. That's when the Jawa made her appearance.

Her dark robes were counterpointed by her charcoal gray facial wrappings and gloves. Her robe was adorned with little bits of metal and of bone. Her gaze swept the room and all caught under its spell fell silent.

Tanith was obviously confused so Seetha Ki shared her knowledge, "Roontoi was a seer amongst her people, a revered holy woman. Apparently Jawas are the greatest untapped resource in the galaxy. By the way, look sharp. She's headed your way."

Tanith blanched as Roontoi took up position in front of her and began chattering away in a language that definitely wasn't Basic. Roontoi took her hand and began making what seemed to be declarations. Everyone seemed mesmerized by this but Tanith began to grow uncomfortable. All eyes were on her and they were probing her with the Force. Her shields had remained strong owing to her irritation at having to attend the party but the pressure was getting overwhelming.

Tanith deep from within herself and with an anger fuelled push, shoved everyone's probes back into their faces. The front row of spectators took a visible step back. Roontoi squeezed her hands and chattered with joy. Tanith looked to Seetha Ki for clarification.

Seetha Ki rubbed her temples, "Very impressive. I guess we all had that coming."

"I won't disagree." Tanith replied, "Could you help me out with what she's saying?"

"I'll translate." Evak said from behind her. She glided up next to Tanith, "I was waiting for the storm to pass over before approaching."

"You knew that was going to happen?" Tanith wondered.

"Prognostication _is _an attribute of the Force." Evak reminded her.

"Listen, I'm sorry for what happened." Tanith said guiltily.

Evak's eyes widened upon hearing the regret in Tanith's voice, "You are, aren't you?"

Tanith nodded and Evak beamed, "Most acts committed under the influence of the dark side are never regretted. They are the fulfillment of one's desire. As a rule, we do not regret getting what we want. You have a rare sense of justice."

"I wouldn't say that." Tanith tried to downplay the incident, "I just don't need to get everything I want. There are some things I shouldn't want."

Evak laughed, "Humility and self restraint as well? You are an enigma. No wonder they couldn't make a Dark Jedi out of you."

The comment startled Tanith, "What?"

"Ro-Jan has been enlightening me with his observations of you." Evak gently explained, "I confess that I want to hear more from the object of the discussion."

"As you said, tomorrow." Tanith deferred.

Evak's eyes twinkled, "As you say. Now, would you like to hear Roontoi's prophecy?"

"Prophecy?" Tanith squeaked.

"Yes." Evak's twinkle was threatening to erupt into a supernova, "She's been telling us about you for quite some time."

Roontoi erupted into a flow of speech that was obviously meant to correct Evak. Evak nodded and apologized, "Yes, it was my error. Roontoi has been telling us about _two_ young women for some time. Their identities have remained unknown until now. Roontoi has decided that you are one of the women of the prophecy."

"Me?" Tanith yelped, "But I'm nobody!"

Evak placed a calming hand on Tanith's shoulder, "That's a prerequisite of the prophecy."

"Does she really think I'm one of these women?" Tanith balefully asked. Evak authoritatively nodded and Roontoi squeezed her hands for extra emphasis. Tanith sighed, "Let's hear the prophecy."

"Roontoi's rendition is much more elegant but here goes," Evak warned, "There shall be two, sisters in spirit, who come to the Sinherra. One shall rise to be the Hammer of the Rule and the Other will find her place as the Shield of the Gray. Neither the Hammer nor the Shield will have family and will come to embrace the brethren of the Rule as their family."

"The Hammer will wield her powers to subdue the enemies of the Rule, who will abound. The Shield will use her might to defend the Rule from both its enemies, its rivals, and even from itself." Evak continued from memory and then pressed on, "The siblings will have embraced both the Light and the Dark and will seek solace in the Gray. Their inner tribulations will produce both resolve and strength. They will be unyielding in their quest for justice but mercy will never be far from their hearts and minds. They will bring hope and life with them."

Evak finished and then eagerly asked, "What do you think?"

"_That_ was the plain version?" Tanith wryly asked.

Up until that moment Tanith didn't even know Twi'leks _could _blush, "Well, I had to elaborate a little. You really should hear the original version. It's poetry."

"I'll stick with the prose. Thanks all the same." Tanith replied.

"You don't see yourself in there at all?" Evak asked.

"Of course not." Tanith remarked, "I may be an orphan and I may have trained with both the Jedi and the Dark Jedi but that doesn't make me some mythical superwoman."

"Of course it doesn't." Evak heartily agreed, "What was prophesied was a leader not a Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force."

Tanith was off balance. She'd expected a protest, a defiant assertion that she was indeed a messiah after all. She relaxed upon sensing the heartfelt veracity of Evak's words. Relieved, she wore a beatific smile.

Evak clapped her hands with joy, "Now that's the smile I've been waiting for all evening."

Tanith reddened but her smile remained, "Me too."

"Now," Evak's twinkle returned, "Let's _really _enjoy this party."

Later that evening, Tanith was in her room. The suite she'd been given was palatial compared to anything else she'd occupied in her life. It was breezy as she'd been warned castles were wont to be.

Having just bathed, Tanith only wore a light tank top and shorts under her robe. She hadn't any heat in her warehouse on Terrescu and these environs seemed tropical in comparison. Fortunately there were Jedi techniques to regulate body temperature and she employed them. A knock on the door startled her.

Closing her robe, she opened the door. Ro-Jan and Alaric stood in the corridor. They looked concerned.

"The internal sensors recorded that your room's temperature is too low. Why haven't you lit a fire?" Ro-Jan demanded, "It gets cold this time of year."

"I'll take care of it." Brekk said and pushed past Tanith.

Ro-Jan started to push past her and she pushed back with her hands, "Not so fast buster. You there! Firebug! Get out!"

Alaric and Ro-Jan were stunned.

Tanith sighed, "Look, this is the warmest I've been since I left Tatooine. There I was too hot and on Terrescu I was too cold. So far this is feeling just right."

"But darlin'" Ro-Jan drawled, "the snows have just melted and it still gets bloody cold at night."

"I wasn't always the battered waif that you met yesterday." Tanith asserted, "I have a dozen blankets, two or three furs, and enough gumption to start a fire if I need one."

"But…" Alaric began to protest.

"No 'buts'!" Tanith insisted, "It was sweet of you gentlemen to come riding to my rescue but it was unnecessary. I'll be fine."

"Y'don't understand…" Ro-Jan tried to argue.

"I understand far better than you it seems." Tanith shut him down, "It's my body, my health, and my responsibility. I'll be fine, really."

Ro-Jan valiantly resisted the urge to argue further, "What would ya like us t'do?"

"Go to your own beds, slip beneath the covers, and enjoy a quiet, restful evening." Tanith urged and she slowly pushed them out of her room.

"Good night." She called out as she finally got her door closed. She leaned against the door and shook her head. _Sweet gesture._ she thought to herself, _Ultimately futile, but sweet nonetheless._

Tanith's pleasant reverie came crashing down when she realized that their superluminal charge into her room meant that they saw her as some helpless nitwit waiting to be to be carried on their big, strong backs. Tanith's eyes narrowed as her resolve hardened. She'd prided herself on her ever growing self reliance. She had the Force. What else did she need?

_A better swordsman to save my butt, that's what._ Tanith grimaced, _Well, I'll show them starting tomorrow. Things'll get back to normal and I'll prove myself to these 'Sith'._

That settled, Tanith retired to "her" bed and turned off the lights. Within moments she was asleep.

Ro-Jan, Alaric, and Evak met in the antechamber of her rooms. Rayl Evak seemed quite pleased, "So she tossed both of you out?"

"Yes, milady." Ro-Jan confessed, "She wanted nothin' t'do with us."

"Good for her." Evak bubbled, "You were right. She's got spirit."

"But is she one of the Awaited Ones?" Ro-Jan wondered.

Evak shrugged, "Who knows. Roontoi certainly thinks so but she could be wrong."

"She's never been wrong before." Alaric reminded them.

Evak caressed Brekk's face, "There are many reasons why I allow you to remain amongst us Alaric Brekk, your insight being foremost among them."

Alaric bowed, "Thank you, milady."

"You may go now, Alaric." Evak kindly dismissed him, "Rest well. Tomorrow will be an eventful and busy day."

"You know it." Brekk smiled. He saluted and left.

Evak retired to a couch and she motioned for Ro-Jan to take a seat on a nearby chair. The Trianni prided themselves on their leatherwork and the Sith occasionally reaped the benefits of their artisans' craftsmanship. Evak propped her head up with a hand as she leaned into an arm of the couch and she studied Ro-Jan with her feet nestled up on the sofa.

Evak sighed, "Roontoi has never been wrong so far as we know. Seetha Ki may not be the Shield after all." Ro-Jan greeted this comment with silence.

"You're troubled by Tanith." She deduced.

"Aye." Ro-Jan hated to admit and he stared at the floor, "She's not as frail as she looks or as first impressions led me to believe. She's powerful and dangerous. Her trainin' has been so haphazard I have no sense of where the girl's ethics or morals stand. She's prone to using the light side but a regular juggernaut when usin' the dark. The dark side scares her and she uses it with care but she herself admits that it overwhelms her."

Ro-Jan lifted his head to meet Evak's dark eyes, "If you take her on, what will her ultimate limits be?"

"I don't know." Evak admitted, "There are too many variables at play and not enough time spent with her to gauge what kind of person she truly is. Based upon first impressions, I'd say that Tanith _is _worth training. She'd be a valuable asset to the Rule even if she isn't the Hammer."

Evak pondered events for a while and then asked, "Do you think she is? Could she really be the Hammer"

"I don't think she is." Ro-Jan scoffed, "Y'know I've never believed in Roontoi's prophecy."

"Yet the first thing you did after meeting her is drop out of hyperspace to transmit a HoloNet message to me regarding her." Evak said dryly, "You _surely_ need more persuading than the rest of us."

Evak's teasing irritated Ro-Jan, "She's trouble. Mark my words; she'll bring everythin' down around our ears."

"I'd like to think we have stronger foundations than that." Evak philosophically replied.

A tense silence loomed and then Evak spoke, "So, how did our young guest look?"

"She looked like she'd arranged her hair with a turbine." Ro-Jan grumped.

"I know she was a bit disheveled when she arrived but surely, after getting cleaned up, she looked better?" Evak was worried.

"Look, I'm tellin' ya," Ro-Jan grew more insistent, "her hair had been cleaned and it was free o' that awful tail but it looked worse. It went every which way in a tangled mess."

Evak frowned, "We have no other human females to turn to. What can we do to help?"

Ro-Jan shrugged, "Maybe she doesn't want our help. She seemed pretty content when I saw her."

A smile tugged at the corners of Evak's mouth, "Does she now? We'll see how she feels tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." Ro-Jan agreed, "Is there anything else?"

"How did the rest of your mission go?" Evak wondered.

"As expected." Ro-Jan grunted, "The local governments were more scared o' us than the Corporate Sector Authority."

"But they do realize that the Corporates are expanding again and neither this 'New Republic' nor the so-called 'Imperial Remnant' will move to stop them?" Evak demanded.

Ro-Jan wearily nodded, "They know. I also brought up the fact that we've seen glimmers of movement and traffic inside the Unknown Regions and they still didn't budge."

"Fools." Evak bitterly complained, "Ignorant fools. They don't know what they're dealing with."

"That isn't entirely true." Ro-Jan countered, "They've at least heard of the Espos. We're completely unknown to them. Sure, they've their own legends concernin' the Jedi and the Sith. To them we're specters from a bygone age."

"And the Unknown Regions?" Evak asked.

"Less than specters." Ro-Jan grimly replied.

Evak cursed. Following that, she considered Ro-Jan, "You really should accept promotion to Master. You could do a world of good as a leader of the Rule. It would lessen my load and things would get back to normal around here."

Ro-Jan grimaced, "Things haven't really been the same since Master Asawan died, have they?"

"No." Evak replied sharply, "I've outlived two Masters, Masters that I brought up and trained."

"Let's be fair," Ro-Jan protested, "Master Ligress was forty years older than you. You're not terribly old but you're not the youngest one in the castle any more."

"No." Evak agreed, "I've seen sixty years go by. It's been a long, lonely road."

"So appoint a new Master." Ro-Jan urged.

"I would but the candidate refuses to accept the role." Evak dryly retorted.

Ro-Jan's head hung low, "Someone other than me."

Evak laughed, "Who else is there?"

"What about Seetha Ki or Tan Lungress?" Ro-Jan suggested.

Evak sadly shook her head, "Seetha is still fighting her native sensibilities. Togrutas have a pack mentality. She's still unwilling to take an action that will totally alienate her from the group. Tan, on the other hand, is still primarily a pacifist. He'd rather negotiate than take action. Both of them are experts at wielding the Force but their true abilities are hampered."

"You," Evak narrowed her focus, "have the necessary requirements of skill and mentality you just lack the necessary desire. In the old days, a Sith Lord was so eager for promotion they'd kill their own master in order to advance. Fortunately, that was the Rule of Two and not the Sinherran Rule."

"I'm a simple foot soldier." Ro-Jan insisted, "I help out with the teachin' but I'm nothin' more than an overblown errand boy."

"More's the pity." Evak softly murmured.

"Is there anythin' else you'll be needin' me for tonight?" Ro-Jan asked.

"No." Evak shook her head, "You may retire now. Tomorrow, write up a report on your contacts. Maybe I'll see a way to convince them after all."

"Not bloody likely." Ro-Jan snorted and left her chambers.

_You must have faith Dear Ro-Jan_. Evak thought to herself as she rose off of the couch and retreated into her bedchambers.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Korista caught up with Hobbie at the market place. He looked irritable and as she approached she could sense his frustration. Hobbie spotted Korista he suddenly lit up with a bright smile.

"I knew you couldn't stay in hiding forever." He happily proclaimed.

"What?" Korista asked, somewhat confused.

"Your antennapalps." Hobbie replied, "You're showing them. It's a good look for you."

"Umm…thanks." Korista absent mindedly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "How long have you known?"

"That you're a Balosar?" Hobbie asked and Korista nodded. Hobbie shrugged, "Ever since we met. Most of the others were fooled but I had a feeling…"

"You knew and you've still felt…" Korista faltered.

Hobbie grinned, "My mother wasn't human. She and my father met when he was on a planetary survey run here in Wild Space. She refused to leave her homeworld when he had to go so they parted ways. I don't even know where she lived or what species she was. I've been kind of shy about announcing my parentage ever since."

"Do you know your mother's name?" Korista hesitantly asked.

"Evien." Hobbie smiled, "That's rather pretty, isn't it?"

Korista didn't have to lie to offer Hobbie his reassurance, "Yes, it is."

"Dad always said she was the prettiest girl in the galaxy." Hobbie's grin grew into a smile.

He paused as he eyed her purchases, "Fruit? That's good. You bought an outfit? Anything for me?"

"Sorry, Jedi boy, you're on your own in the shopping arena." Korista warned, "Now, why were you so agitated?"

"Let's drop your bundle off with Gremlin and the _Lightray_." Hobbie insisted, "I'll explain then."

"Ooo-kay." Korista warily agreed and began to walk beside Hobbie as they headed for the ship. As they walked, Korista noticed that several colonists were pointing at her. With her hearing enhanced by her antenna, she could make out that they were making the inevitable comparisons to Arla Watley and questioning Korista's parentage. She laughed.

"What's so funny?" Hobbie wondered. His terse manner and obvious anxiety struck Korista as being odd.

"I'm sorry. It's a long story. The locals now associate me with the witness I just interviewed. Apparently I'm some sort of long lost relative." Korista replied, "Now tell me, _why _are you wound so tight?"

They reached the spaceport and Hobbie stopped in mid-stride, "I am _not_ tense."

Korista's eyebrows rose and she looked skeptical, "I can sense how you're feeling, Hobbie. You're practically the spokesmodel for the need for tranquilizers."

"When we're in the ship." Hobbie promised.

They boarded the _Lightray_. Korista stowed the perishables in the cryo. Her next task was folding up her new garment and placing into her travel bag and stowing that into a crew locker. Meanwhile, Hobbie sought peace of mind and drew on the Force to help assuage whatever pressures he felt.

Korista took the seat opposite to him at the tiny galley table. He continued his meditations for several more minutes. When he opened his eyes, they no longer had a hunted look to them and instead looked rather tranquil. Korista was envious.

"All right, I can speak freely now." Hobbie began, "I went to detention center and saw the three prisoners we were interested in. The constables let me see them, with supervision of course, and I asked them about Tanith. They just reviled me until I mentioned Brakkis, the Twilight Academy, and _you_."

"Brakkis didn't scare them, the Academy didn't faze them but you, you my dear Korista, _you_ terrified them." Hobbie revealed, "Who…_what_…are you?"

Korista's shoulders slumped, "I told him this would happen."

"Who?" Hobbie was getting more perplexed by the second.

"Skywalker." Korista miserably answered, "I told him that my past would come out."

"What past?" Hobbie quietly asked.

"He said it wouldn't matter, after all, his wife had been an Imperial assassin personally at the beck and call of the Emperor. No one cared about that. They'd overlook my history as well." Korista was becoming morose.

"Kori," Hobbie gently prodded her to keep her from withdrawing any more, "what history do you have?"

Korista locked eyes on him and they were almost feverish, "I was one of the first chosen and I was one of the best. I was a teacher's aide. I taught lower ranked students and applied discipline where I saw fit. I was ruthless. They were all scared of me…everyone but Gregin."

"Isn't Gregin the one chasing Tanith Irel?" Hobbie sought clarification.

"Yes." Korista breathed out the answer, "He's here. I saw surveillance vid that proves it."

"Maybe he's sitting in a cell in the detention center." Hobbie mused.

Korista snorted, "He'd tear that cell apart and kill everyone it within seconds of regaining consciousness."

"How do you know?" Hobbie asked.

Hobbie watched as Korista's sorrowful mood was replaced by something else. Her eyes were lit by an inner fire.

"It's what I'd do and Gregin and I aren't that different." Korista answered in an even voice.

"You can't mean that." Hobbie implored.

Korista rose, "C'mon, let's go see the prisoners."

Hobbie was pleased to see Korista back to her old, take charge self but there was an undercurrent here that bothered him, "What are you planning?"

Korista turned to face him and her face bore the most wounded look of pure innocence that Hobbie had ever seen. He didn't buy it for a second, "Yes, you heard me."

"I just want to interview the three survivors and then take a look at the victim's corpse." Korista assured him.

Hobbie didn't trust her for a second. He couldn't detect any malice emanating from her but there'd been a flash in her eyes and it worried him. He rose and shrugged, "Sure, I'll show you where the detention facility is. It's so small it's easy to miss."

"Thank you." Korista wore a beatific smile that Hobbie hated to doubt but he did anyways.

Korista still wore her smile upon arrival at the detention center. The constable on desk duty stopped them as they entered, "Do you have a pass?"

"We don't need a pass." Korista replied with a wave of her hand.

"You don't need a pass." The constable repeated.

"We can see the prisoners." Korista said for the ensorcelled constable's benefit.

"You can see the prisoners." The constable said dully.

"_And _their victim's corpse." Korista primly added.

"You'll see the corpse." The constable agreed.

"Was that necessary?" Hobbie whispered to Korista as they waited for the constable finished making arrangements.

"Probably." she whispered back with a carefree grin.

Hobbie's suspicions returned, "Kori, listen, we can do this tomorrow. We have three days' worth of docking for free. This is just the first day. Tomorrow would be better for this."

"What are you worried about?" Korista asked with a frown, "You didn't get to view Gregin's corpse before. We should at least check that out."

Hobbie dubiously eyed her, "You'll be satisfied with that?"

"Of course." Korista nodded.

"We examine the corpse and we leave?" Hobbie clarified.

Korista's smile was warm and sympathetic, "You're worrying too much. You need to relax. Try a meditation technique."

Hobbie's jaw tightened as he bit down on an acerbic reply. Another constable emerged from a doorway adjacent to the front desk. He was a Ryn and Korista smiled to herself. He saw this and frowned.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"If you're friends with Vretti you probably can." Korista replied.

"How do you know Vretti….?" His wide eyes narrowed, "You must be the stranger that Beeta told me about. She said you were a Jedi."

"`Fraid she was right." Korista said and pulled back her cloak so that the lightsaber clipped to her belt stood revealed.

"Humph." Escaped the police officer's lips and he scowled, "We don't get many high and mighty Jedi this far out. What do you want?"

Korista didn't bay an eye, "We're looking for Tanith Irel. We have reasons to believe that your three guests and the corpse formerly known as Gregin Fast can assist us in that search."

The Ryn smiled, "Gregin Fast, eh? Will you positively identify the corpse for us?"

Korista smiled, "I'd be delighted."

The Ryn started to show them into the interior of the station and then he hesitated, "By the way, my name's Garro. _Inspector _Garro."

"And I'm Korista Talon'Ryst and this is Hobbie Ghent." Korista happily replied.

Garro relaxed a bit, "Tell me Jedi Ghent, do you ever speak? So far your companion has done all of the explaining."

Hobbie's smile was a cautious one, "I tend to fill in the gaps that she's left unanswered."

"I see." Garro said in reply.

Both Jedi could feel Garro's mind draw conclusions from that statement, "Come on. I'll show you the morgue."

The morgue was a relic compared to the advanced facilities of most of the Core worlds. Rather than using sterile fields and noninvasive scanners to examine the bodies the Terrescu facilities required antiseptics and knives. Refrigeration stood in place of cryogenics. The entire place reeked of chemical sanitizers.

Korista took this in stride. Her early childhood had been filled with far more ghastly smells. Hobbie, though, paled. She wondered how he'd take viewing the actual body.

The duo was led into a room with a wall of doors. A white smocked attendant awaited them. Garro spoke in hushed tomes to him and the tech went to the appropriate door and unlatched it. He pulled the body out of the wall on a tracked gurney.

The body was shrouded by a reflective silver sheet. Korista and Hobbie were motioned to stand beside the gurney opposite the tech and Garro. The tech threw the sheet back and Garro gauged their reactions.

Korista stifled the urge to laugh. It was indeed Gregin Fast and he was certainly dead. For almost three years, Fast had been the only student at the Twilight Academy that could threaten her. They had constantly tested one another, probing for exploitable weaknesses. The fear that he would return someday to cut her down had always loomed in the back of her mind. Now that fear could be put to rest.

"How did he die?" Korista managed to say without betraying too much relief.

"First things first." Garro interjected, "Can you positively identify this man?"

"Yes." Korista replied, "His name was Gregin Fast. I believe he was a native of Abregado-rae."

Garro frowned, "How well did you know Fast?"

"We were students at the same academy." Korista answered truthfully, "We had daily contact."

"You seemed relieved upon seeing him." Garro observed, "Had he threatened you?"

Korista decided to bludgeon Garro with the truth, "Gregin Fast wanted me dead and I wanted him dead. We were competitors, rivals, and mortal enemies. I may not have been here when he died but if I had been I'd be your chief suspect."

"And you think Tanith Irel killed him?" Garro enquired.

Korista snorted, "I don't know if _I_ could have killed him. There's no way Tanith could have pulled it off."

"So you think she had help?" Garro narrowed the question.

"Yes, I do." Korista affirmed.

"So do we." Garro admitted, "Any idea who it was?"

"Nope." Korista admitted. The mysterious man in black _was_ an enigma after all. She decided to change the subject, "Exactly how did Gregin die?"

Garro deferred to the tech, who happily answered, "The body had received several physical blows but none of them were lethal. There were also a score of small, inconsequential cauterized cuts. None of these led to death. What killed him was a neck trauma but we can't ascertain what broke it."

"Maybe something like this?" Korista asked and then Gregin's neck convulsed to the side.

The tech jumped and Garro chuckled, "That's certainly a possibility."

"Can we see the prisoners now?" Korista asked hopefully.

"Kori…" Hobbie began to protest.

"We're already here." Korista brightly pointed out, "They may know something about Tanith. They ignored you but they may answer me."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Hobbie replied.

"I'll take you." Garro interjected, "Let's stop by my office where I can make arrangements."

"Happily." Korista opined in a chipper voice.

"I've got a terrible feeling about this." Hobbie muttered to himself.

Garro's office turned out to be a small glass cubicle located to the north side of the cramped Constabulary headquarters. The center was small yet it contained the morgue, forensic labs, detention cells, interrogation rooms, training facilities, and the squad rooms for the assorted law enforcement officers. It was little wonder that cops rating a private space, like Garro, were shoved into every spare nook and cranny.

Korista had requested to meet all three prisoners in a single interrogation room. Garro was explaining to her why that wasn't possible, "You see, we isolate the prisoners in order to maximize their sense of isolation. We can appeal to their sense of self preservation by offering leniency to only one suspect. The first to provide evidence gets the deal and the other two swing."

Korista ignored the reference to hanging convicts. Terrescu was a provincial world and the custom might still hold sway. "I don't need to play off of their feelings of isolation. I want them together so they can see solidarity won't gain them a thing. I want them to look into each others' eyes as their sense of security is stripped from them."

Hobbie stirred uncomfortably. Korista could sense his discomfort with her approach. In turn he could sense her zeal. She knew she probably seemed like a fanatic to him right now.

"It's irregular." Garro protested.

"Name one thing about this case which falls into your definition of normal." Korista argued, "These three were travelling with a Dark Jedi. They were undoubtedly students at the Twilight Academy with him. They were students of the dark side and they can probably accomplish feats you haven't dreamt of."

"You said you were a fellow student of these Gregin Fast." Garro pointed out, "Does this mean you are also a Dark Jedi?"

Korista could feel Hobbie's eyes boring into the back of her skull as she answered, "I was. Jedi Master Skywalker gave me a chance to change."

"And this is the same Skywalker that killed the Emperor?" Garro asked.

"Well," Korista hedged, "technically…"

"It is." Hobbie spoke up, "A Skywalker killed the Emperor. Luke Skywalker also destroyed the original Death Star and was instrumental in the defeat of Grand Admiral Thrawn."

Garro's face lit up with recognition, "Thrawn's death was no loss. He lorded it over us Wild Spacers for decades."

"Master Skywalker sent us to find Tanith Irel." Hobbie reiterated, "He felt that it was important. Irel is tied to significant events that are currently in play. It is imperative that we find her."

Korista eyed Hobbie in a new light. He'd obviously been holding out key pieces of information from her. This display of deviousness made her appreciate him more than ever.

"So you think sitting down with all three suspects together will facilitate your search?" Garro asked.

"Yes." Korista blurted before Hobbie could speak.

"Okay," Garro mused, "we'll try it your way. I'll be sitting in on this session and you'll be unarmed. Understand?"

Korista and Hobbie bobbed their heads in agreement. Garro wore a thin smile as he led them towards the interrogation rooms, "This should be interesting."


	6. Chapter 6

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 100

A guard met Garro, Korista, and Hobbie outside the cell containing the three Dark Jedi prisoners. He dutifully received Garro's blaster and the lightsabers of the two Jedi. Garro pressed his palm against the locking mechanism. Recognizing his biometric readings, the station's computer unlocked the door. As the door swung open, Garro motioned for his guests to enter before him.

A single table dominated the center of the room. The three prisoners sat side by side on one side of the table. Behind them stood a guard wielding a stun baton. Three chairs were laid out on the other side of the table. Korista presumed they were meant for Garro, Hobbie, and herself.

Korista stopped. She stood watching the trio. Hobbie and Garro moved around her went for their seats. Korista remained.

Recognition registered on every prisoner's face. She could sense their fear. A part of her hungered for it. It would prove useful.

"Jedi Talon'Ryst," Garro addressed her, "if you could take a seat."

"Jedi?" the Bothan spat, "She's no Jedi."

"Easy Avriss." Garro counseled, "She's not here to hurt you."

"What a load of shuk!" the panicky human blurted.

"Look, Jak," Garro addressed him, "I don't know your history with her but she and her partner are after Tanith Irel, not you."

"That's all that Gregin wanted and look where that got him." the Duro retorted.

"Kiln," Garro wearily replied, "we've covered this. We don't know who killed Gregin Fast. All we know for certain is that Tanith Irel is missing."

"Good." Jak declared, "She almost killed us. She did kill Gregin. You should find her and kill _her_."

"Tanith was the weakest student at the Twilight Academy yet she easily beat you…all _three_ of you." Korista sneered, "Oh, and I _believe_ Tanith trashed the three of you but Gregin? That's laughable."

"Maybe you killed him." Kiln calmly suggested, "You had more motive than anyone else within a parsec of here."

Korista indulged him with a frosty smile, "If I had been here I would've gladly done the job but I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere for your scapegoat."

"This is pointless!" Avriss snarled, "We know Tanith is the guilty party. Why are we still being held?"

"Breaking and entering for one thing." Garro gritted his teeth, "Those were your swoop bikes that crashed through the skylight, weren't they?"

The expressions on the three suspects told the tale. A grim smile spread across Garro's features, "Speaking of which, those swoops were stolen from Crissel's lot. That makes you guilty of grand theft transport."

"What?" Avriss shrieked.

"Where's Tanith?" Korista suddenly snapped.

"How the strox should we know?" Kiln asked.

"I'd like to believe you but, sadly, I don't." Korista replied, "I'll give you one last chance to willingly reveal what you know."

"Go flotz yourself." Avriss snarled.

Korista thoughtfully pondered it, "Tempting but no."

Avriss stared at her as though she were addled. Korista grew eager, "So, you're refusing my offer?"

"Of course we are." Kiln answered as if to a dimwitted child.

"Inspector, dismiss your sentry." Korista instructed, "Hobbie, wait for me outside."

"Kori…" Hobbie began to protest.

Korista flashed him a warm smile, "Trust me."

Hobbie hesitated before relenting, "All right."

Garro appraised her, "If you're thinking about getting rid of me you can forget it. These prisoners are my responsibility. I'm staying put."

"Not a problem." Korista assured him as the others left the room. Returning her attention to the three former Dark Jedi students, "Here we are. You outnumber us and we're unarmed. We'd make valuable hostages. Take your shot."

Garro gave her a sharp look. Everything exploded. Avriss was out of her chair and lunging through the air with a yowling screech. Kiln and Jak were also on their feet.

Korista was on her feet before any of them had moved. She sidestepped Avriss' leap and delivered a blast of force lightning to the Bothan as she passed. She was semiconscious even before she collided with the wall and finished her slide into unconsciousness.

Korista wheeled on Jak and Kiln. She wore an evil smile, "Ready to talk?"

Kiln accessed the Force but it was too little too late. Korista flashed her hand out towards him and he was propelled into the wall. He was pinned against and all of the air was squeezed out of him. Korista released him as he passed out.

Jak started babbling, "I was awake when Gregin fought him! I never saw him before. He was even faster and stronger in the force than Brakkis. He killed Gregin and then took Tanith outside to meet a ship. I played dead until the cops came."

Garro recovered from his shocked stupor, "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"He's off planet." Jak sighed, "What're you gonna do?"

"I have my resources." Garro growled.

Korista squeezed his shoulder and asked her own question, "What did this man look like?"

"He was dressed all in black and he carried a lightsaber with a red blade." Jak replied, "He's human and has dark hair and is fairly tall. He has pale skin and a muscular build. That's all I noticed, I swear."

"That's a start." Korista's mouth tightened, "Thanks Jak."

"Sure." Jak said feebly, "Don't mention it."

Korista stepped out into the hallway. Addressing the waiting sentry, she told him; "The Inspector needs your help."

Hobbie cast a wary eye upon Korista, "I felt you drawing on the Force. What did you do?"

"Nothing." She meekly replied.

Garro joined them, "Is there any possibility you could stay with us? That was amazing!"

Korista wore a sad smile, "Sorry. I have a prior engagement."

"Riiight." Garro's memory suddenly engaged, "Finding Tanith Irel."

"Has that black warrior been spotted here before?" Korista wondered.

Garro shook his head, "Nothing that the Constabulary knows about. You could check with the widow Watley."

"I've already been there." Korista revealed, "She has vid of him but nothing other than that."

"Does she know how he got here and where he went?" Garro's curiosity was piqued.

Korista clunked the side of her head, "Let me amend that previous statement. She has vid of the man and the ship that brought him and ferried him and Tanith away."

"Any clues?" Garro could almost taste the scent of his prey.

"It looked like a forty year old Imperial cutter." Korista described.

"Really?" Garro searched his memory, "Follow me back to my office. I think I've seen an Imperial cutter in the not so distant past."

Korista and Hobbie exchanged puzzled glances but they dutifully followed Garro through the station. Garro sat down at his computer and began reviewing registration forms from the spaceport. He typed in a search parameter and the sought after registration appeared.

"Six months ago an Imperial cutter, the _Implacator_, landed. She carried a representative from the Imperial Remnant. They sought to establish trade relations. Three months ago, the representative reappeared _minus_ her ship. She refused to divulge what had happened to her cutter and her crew. She booked passage off world and we've never heard another word from the Remnant."

"Imperials, eh?" Hobbie wore a sly grin, "I think we can track them down."

Garro leaned back in his chair, "The representative's name was Morn, Charis Morn."

"Got it. Thanks." Hobbie grinned.

"Thank you," Korista leaned down and kissed the Ryn's cheek, "for everything."

Exiting the Constabulary, Hobbie turned to Korista; "I don't know about you but I'm beat. What do you say to staying here for the night and shoving off tomorrow morning?"

"All right." Korista readily agreed, "But tomorrow we go out for breakfast."

Hobbie chuckled, "Fine. I can live with that."

"Good." Korista smiled and Hobbie's heart melted. His concerns would return later in the night.

Tanith sat the brush down with a frustrated growl in the back of her throat. No matter how much she tended to her floppy mess of hair the worse it looked. Right now she looked as though she'd been in a hurricane and that was _after_ twenty minutes worth of ministrations.

Suddenly she felt a feather light touch of the Force. The probe was meant to reveal whether or not she was still in her room and what sort of mood she was in. It was extremely polite for a Force user. Nonetheless, it still made Tanith sigh forlornly.

The probes used by the students of the Twilight Academy had been far more strident and intrusive. Still, Tanith valued her privacy and therefore submerged her presence beneath the Force in response to the query. The probe grew insistent.

Tanith channeled it back to its sender with a little added push of her own. There was a clatter outside and then the dim sound of running feet. _Seems I've made an impression, _she gleefully thought to herself.

Tanith gave up on her hair and decided to dress. When she'd finished, she reached for Gregin's lightsaber. Her hand hovered above it for several seconds. She balled her hand in a fist and unleashed a mighty torrent of Force lightning. The saber overloaded and its power cell melted down. Satisfied, Tanith answered the sudden knock at the door.

Rayl Evak stood grinning on the other side, "Are you done frightening my apprentices?"

Tanith opened the door the rest of the way with a cheerful grin, "Nope."

Evak shared her grin, "That's what they're afraid of."

Tanith _almost _felt guilty, "Can I help you?"

"Actually," Evak's twinkle returned, "I'm here to help you. I've had breakfast brought to my suite and I was hoping you'd join me. It'll be a quiet, intimate affair. Afterwards, we can have our little chat about what's going on around here."

Tanith didn't even have to mull it over, "All right. Lead on, my Lady."

The conversation during the meal was light. Evak listened to Tanith's take on her voyage to Triann. Much to Tanith's consternation, Evak already knew of Ro-Jan's broken silence.

"Don't feel bad, Tanith." Evak laughed, "Ro-Jan confessed to everything. The poor boy acted like he'd betrayed me and spilled some dire secret."

"He certainly acted that way when he discussed you and your Sith Rule." Tanith said in an exasperated tone.

"You have to forgive him." Evak chuckled, "Ro-Jan is one of my closest and dearest students but he tends to take things far too seriously for his own health."

"He's a hard headed nerf herder." Tanith complained, "I'll give him that."

"Yet you fancy him…" Evak's brow furrowed, "No…you fancy what he represents."

Tanith wore a rueful expression, "Well, the mynock is certainly out of the cave with that one."

"Don't be regretful." Evak counseled, "Instead, embrace the experience. You _are_ here for a reason. A very special one at that."

"And what could that be?" Tanith's voice took on a scornful edge.

"Why don't you tell how your path led you here and then I will explain the why behind it." Evak offered.

Tanith decided she had nothing to lose so she revealed her past. The loss of her parents, the arrival of Corran Horn, her time with the Jedi, her time with the Dark Jedi, and her flight across the galaxy were all included.

Evak prompted her discuss her feelings towards the Force. She wanted to know Tanith's view on how it should be used and why. What did the Force guide her towards and how did it speak to her?

"I haven't really had time to dwell on those things." Tanith confessed, "I'm grateful to have the strength of the Force yet terrified of it all the same. I can do so much that it scares me and I'm afraid that I'll refuse to act out of trepidation. At the same time, I know I have an obligation to provide for others and to protect the less fortunate."

"Why?" Evak inquired.

Tanith shrugged, "Civil responsibility and participation is huge on Bakura. It's like Naboo before the Empire. The strong protect the weak and the fortunate provide for those unable to provide for themselves."

"And you see Force adepts in this light?" Evak sought clarification.

"Of course." Tanith heartily confirmed, "We have something few have. We possess abilities and strengths that go beyond mortal man. We also have weaknesses that can drag us down and make us the bane of sentient life. The balance we must strike is finite."

Evak reminded her of the last portion of her major questions. Tanith's reaction was one of regret. "I don't know. I just don't know what I'm being guided towards anymore. I've sought clarity but all I find is confusion. When the Force does speak to me in a recognizable fashion it's in intuitive leaps that go far beyond what my feeble mind could produce."

"Your insight does you credit but you are far too harsh on yourself." Evak said softly, "Let me explain some of what you've described."

"Your views on the nature of responsibility that we as Force adepts bear are accurate enough." Evak began to explain, "You've a well rounded perspective on that. Your terror of the Force comes from knowing the worst of yourself. You lack the confidence in yourself to restrain your baser impulses. That is a natural fear. Far too many of my students do not share it. Instead, for them, discipline is an external measure."

Evak continued, "As far as your guidance from the Force, I think you have not listened to what the Force is telling you in some time. What does it say to you now?"

Tanith hesitated, "I feel I should trust you."

Evak brightened, "That's a start. Since you've done all of the sharing until now, I'll trade places with you. The Sinherran Masters were adherents to the oldest religious rites of the Sith path. All Sith believe that mastery of both sides of the Force is necessary to become a Master. The difference is that most Sith Rules believe that only the Dark Side should be embraced on your quest for power."

Evak sighed, "Of course, most Sith also believe in power for powers sake. But that was not the teachings of the ancients. Even the Rule of Two tried to establish galactic order albeit order achieved through personal domination and exertion of fear and power. That is not our way."

"As you so eloquently explained, power comes with a price. That price is responsibility." Evak smiled, "Our Rule seeks to establish order but an order that all can embrace. It has been said that only the Sith deal in absolutes. This is true. Our way establishes right from wrong. We enforce our way and expect others to live by it."

Evak looked sad, "Of course there are those who believe differently. We have to be patient with them. Eventually they will see that our path is best. Until then we must protect them as well and lead by example."

"That is _your_ path." Evak decided, "That is why you've been at the extremes of Light and Dark. You need to find a synthesis of the two and that's what we offer. You dreamt of helping others your entire life. Now you can and you can do so in an environ that suits you. What do you say?"

Tanith hesitated and Evak consoled her, "First decide what your head and your heart say. Then reach out and stretch your feelings. What does the Force say to your mind and to your heart?"

Tanith closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her eyes opened, they sparkled with clarity, "All right. I'll join you. I want to be a Sith."

Evak's smile was rapturous, "I knew it! Today we'll get you dressed, you'll build a new lightsaber, and tomorrow we can begin your training."

Tanith's grin was rueful, "There's the hectic schedule I know and loathe."

"Never fear. You'll be one of my advanced students. We only meet for a few hours each day. The rest of the time is spent in the field."

Evak's evil twinkle returned, "I think I'll pair you with Ro-Jan. He needs a new student and I think you'll be just the challenge to bring out the best in him.


	7. Chapter 7

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 108

Luke digested the message from Hobbie. Gathered with him in the communications center were his wife, Mara, and Corran Horn. Both Mara and Corran looked discomfited.

"Something is wrong." Corran voiced, "Hobbie is one of the most laconic men I have ever met. For him to be this concerned over Korista…well, something's gone wrong."

"Mara?" Luke could sense that she was holding herself back.

"I've expressed my opinion." She replied, "She just wasn't ready for this."

Luke's spirit grew troubled. The Force had guided him. It had told him to include her on this particular mission. _No, _he corrected himself, _it told me to have her _lead _the mission._

"We must be mindful of the will of the Force." He counseled, "I sensed a need. A need to find Tanith Irel and a need to set Korista Talon'Ryst to the task. I may have misjudged the particulars of that intuition but not the general thrust. Those women are _destined _to find one another."

"And what happens then?" Mara asked.

Luke's expression turned wry, "I think you should meditate on this and let us know."

"Me?" Mara scoffed.

"Mara," Luke gently said her name, "you're a Jedi Master by default. You have more training and greater depth in the Force than any of my students. However, that training came at the hands of a Sith Lord. There are nuances to being a Jedi that you haven't discovered yet."

"You're going to pay for this." She half teased, half threatened, "You do realize that, don't you?"

Luke grinned, "I'm looking forward to it."

"One thing is clear," Corran spoke up, "We need to be in the Imperial Remnant. Whether it's to monitor Korista or just to be near for when they find Tanith Irel, we need to be ready to move and move fast."

"I agree." Luke said, "Gather up a few Jedi and join as at the _Jade Saber_ in three hours. In the meantime, I'll help Mara with her meditation."

Corran lit up with an all too knowing grin, "The last time Mirax helped me with my meditation she ended up pregnant."

"Scram sonny." Mara growled, "Before I make your kids orphans."

Corran offered her a sloppy salute, "You wish is my command, Two or three Jedi coming up."

Corran left and Mara grinned at Luke, "Y'know, we always could try a little hanky panky."

Luke's grin matched her own. He had a wicked gleam in his eye, "But you need the practice."

"I need practice." Mara agreed, "Just not the type you're talking about."

She moved from her seat with sultry grace and came to rest on his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned in and delivered a fiery kiss.

Coming up for air, Luke was practically giddy, "You can always practice en route."

"That's what I'm thinking." Mara purred.

Hobbie and Korista enjoyed a breakfast at the same tapcafe where Korista had confronted Vretti. Beeta was there but she kept her distance. Korista tried engaging Hobbie in some small talk but the other was having none of it. He was preoccupied and withdrawn.

Once they'd returned to the ship and lifted off, Gremlin supplied the nav data for a jump to Bastion. Hobbie committed them to hyperspace then Korista finally spoke.

"You might as well tell me what you told Master Skywalker." She sighed.

"You knew?" Hobbie was only slightly surprised.

"Hobbie, the sleeping cots are less than two meters away from the cockpit. Besides," she wiggled her antennapalps, "I have an extra set of 'ears.'"

"So you know what I said already." Hobbie opined.

"No," Korista corrected him, "I was trying to sleep. All I knew was that you were talking about me. I know that because if you were riding the edge I'd be talking to him too."

"So you're not upset?" Hobbie was getting confused.

"No, Hobbie, I'm not." Korista admitted to him, "It shows you care so I think it's sweet. Beyond that, like I told the Widow Watley, I make a lousy Jedi. I was good at being a Dark Jedi. I was a kriffing rodder of a Dark Jedi. This Light Side Jedi Knight business just has me flummoxed."

"I could help you with your meditations." Hobbie offered.

Korista frowned and shook her head, "If I can't wrap my thick skull around this on my own then I'm not worthy of being a Jedi. My path will become clear soon enough."

"You've had a premonition." Hobbie realized.

"Let's just call it a hunch." Korista qualified her statement, "Tanith and I are being flung headlong into each other and I think that everything will resolve itself when we are finally reunited."

"That's pretty much what Master Skywalker said." Hobbie revealed, "He said to consider this your Jedi trial. You'll know whether or not you belong in the Order when this is done."

"And if I choose to leave?" Korista posed the obvious question.

Hobbie grew uncomfortable, "He hasn't said."

_At least not to you,_ she thought to herself.

Corran was taking his turn at the stick of the _Jade Saber_. Mara and Luke had just finished a joint meditative exercise. Mara looked discomfited.

"We're going to lose both of them." She frowned.

"We haven't had Tanith for some time now." Luke reminded her, "And as far as Korista's concerned, it's been an uncomfortable marriage at best."

"So you're just going to let her walk away?" Mara's frown became a scowl, "That's not a good idea. The girl's dangerous."

"That 'girl' has been a woman for many years now." Luke countered, "In the old Order she would have completed the trials and been teaching her own Padawan by now."

"But what would she teach a student in the here and now?" Mara's voice took on an edge.

Luke sighed, "I know you've never approved of her joining the Order but it's the will of the Force."

"Luke, she was a sadist." Mara pointed out.

"So was my father." Luke said very softly, "Yet he was redeemed in the end."

Mara deflated, "I know. I'm sorry. But how can she be redeemed as a Force adept if she leaves the Jedi."

"I don't know." Luke admitted and then he brightened, "Isn't that exciting?"

"Nheh." Marta buried her face in her hands. Operating as the Emperor's enforcer, under the guise of the Emperor's Hand, Mara had always valued intelligence. She'd skip over the summaries and tackle the raw data itself. The Force guided her as she searched for answers and by the time she was finished she often knew her targets better than they knew themselves.

"I just don't like the lack of info." She admitted, "It's a poor way to operate."

"It also forces us to rely on the Living Force even more." Luke advised, "Which may be the point. How can we be called Masters when we doubt the very provision of the Force?"

"You've been spending too much time with that Jedi holocron." Mara quipped. Luke gave her a pained look and she held up her hands, "I know, I know! You're right. I freely admit it. It's just frustrating."

"I feel it too." He etook her hands into his, ""I've battled anger my entire life so I know how frustration can eventually lead to the Dark Side. You usually master those feelings and I'm proud of you. You have no idea how much respect I have for you for your dedication."

"You'd better be." She growled.

Luke drew her into his arms and he held her. She reciprocated and they lingered in the embrace until Corran activated the intercom, "Luke, Mara, you'd better get up here."

The couple rushed into the cockpit. They were back in normal space. An Imperial Interdictor had pulled them out of hyperspace with a gravity generator on the edge of Imperial space. Two _Imperial II_-class Star Destroyers were in the vicinity and TIE fighters were inbound.

"Attention New Republican _Jade Saber_, you will stand down and await an inspection." A bored voice said over the comm.

"Can we ask why?" Corran inquired.

"You can ask, _Saber_." Was all the voice would say. The connection terminated at her end.

"It looks like we're going to be a little late." Luke mused. Mara shot a sour look his way. Corran vacated the pilot's station.

"I'd better check on our other two passengers." He declared before leaving.

Mara flopped down into the vacant seat, "Tell me you saw this coming."

"Nope." Luke sat down at the navigator's station, "This is another surprise."

"Great." She grumbled.

It took four hours for the _Lightray _to traverse hyperspace and reach Bastion. Traffic Control greeted them and assigned them a landing pad. On their way down, Korista tensed.

"Hobbie, after we land, you stay in the ship. I'll check things out." She insisted.

"After the last time?" Hobbie protested.

"Hobbie, they're looking for Jedi." She revealed, "And not in a nice way."

"And you know this because…?" he was still skeptical.

"The Force is screaming it to me." She supplied the answer, "Quiet yourself and you'll sense it too."

He drew on inner reserves and then shook his head, "We're flotzed."

"No." she was determined, "I can make it."

"How will you manage to slip through?" he wondered.

"I have that outfit that I bought on Terrescu. If I leave my lightsaber behind, I should be able to blend in." she explained.

"How will you justify meeting with this Charis Morn?" Hobbie asked.

"You're the data slicer." She retorted, "I'll land this crate and you whip up an ID."

"Good idea. I'll be back." He said as he left his station.

"And I'll be hiding." She quipped.

All she heard from behind her was Hobbie grumble, "Not even funny."

Korista shrugged, _You can't please everyone._

Korista emerged from behind the dressing curtain and said, "What d'you think?"

She'd shucked her nondescript Jedi robes for a khaki pants, her tan Jedi boots, a blue shimmersilk blouse, a Tan vest and her utility belt. She was eagerly expecting an opinion. Hobbie was just stunned.

"I've never seen you as a civilian." He admitted, "You're looking good though."

"Does it fit my cover?" she asked.

"It should." He opined, "I see you retracted your antennapalps."

"It's best to be as human as possible in Imperial space." She reminded him.

"Gremlin's going with you." Hobbie announced out of the blue, "An astromech can come in handy and he's smarter than your average R6."

Gremlin happily burbled. Korista wore a wry expression, "What's he say about it?"

A series of happy sounding whistles and toots followed. Hobbie grinned, "He says if anyone can keep you out of trouble he can."

Korista smirked, "We'll see."

The _Jade Saber_ was tractored into the landing bay of the Star Destroyer _Impervious_. Luke released the hatch and faced four stormtroopers. He could feel their turmoil. They weren't happy with this detail but their professionalism outweighed their discomfort.

An officer and a scan team were approaching. Mara stood on the boarding ramp and snorted, "This is going to be fun."

"Citizens," the stormtroopers' squad leader motioned for the Jedi to step down to the main deck, "if you could exit the vehicle we'll check your registration and cargo."

Luke led the procession. The officer arrived as the assembled Jedi gathered in a small cluster. The stormtroopers fanned out and surrounded the Jedi.

The officer noted Luke's obvious authority and addressed him, "Are you the captain of this vessel?"

Luke shook his head, "No, that would be her."

The officer turned to see one irked Mara Jade, "Ma'am?"

"Don't 1ma'am' me." Mara sighed, "Why were we yanked out of hyperspace, Lieutenant…?"

"Jellico." He sounded off, "Gil Jellico."

"Well, Lieutenant Gil Jellico, answer the question." Mara was running in full Imperial agent mode.

"Ma'am, we were warned of a potential threat to the Empire." He explained, "One of our allies warned us that Jedi insurgents would try to destabilize our government. They also said that the New Republic would send in reinforcements. Here you are, from the New Republic, and you're Jedi."

"Have there been any seditious acts on the part of Jedi?" Luke asked.

Jellico shook his head, "There really aren't any Jedi in the Remnant. They assist us when called upon but none are stationed within our borders."

"So who would we be helping?" Luke had to ask.

The lieutenant had no ready answer.

At a bank terminal, Gremlin blatted loudly. This was followed a trilling whistle. Korista shook her head.

"Gremlin, I don't understand." She complained.

A flashing light on the display caught her attention and she studied the info contained within its screen, "The Republican credit is down to the Imperial chit. But the Bakuran credit is down to the Republican one and high to the Imperial currency. So you transferred our credits into Bakuran credits and then exchanged them for Imperial ones. We ended up with an extra five thousand creds that way."

Korista brightened, "That's brilliant!"

Gremlin's reply was a not so humble tootle. Korista grinned, "Don't let it go to your central processor."

Gremlin's responding warble was one of disappointment. Korista laughed, "C'mon, let's find this Charis Morn."

They exited the bank and headed for an info center in the middle of the public square. They'd received directions to the bank at the Customs Office. It'd been easy to find.

Gremlin jacked into the computer's database and began running a search. It took nearly three minutes but he pulled up her profile and downloaded directions to her offices. Korista studied the object of their desire.

Charis Morn was a mid-level economic development attaché. She was essentially a go-between between the Imperial financiers and the Empire's allies and client nations. An economist with a law degree, Morn was a gifted negotiator. Korista could see why she'd been sent to Wild Space to dredge up some new trade relations.

Gremlin detached himself from the computer terminal and tooted his query. Korista grinned, "Lead on. You know the way and I don't. Let's see what we can learn from Ms. Morn."

Gremlin confidently extended his third leg and rolled on out into the foot traffic. Korista kept pace beside him and they soon lost themselves in the huddled masses.


	8. Chapter 8

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 116

Tanith brushed another loose strand of hair out of her vision…_again_. It'd been a lifelong chore and she inwardly looked for patience. She'd tried using the Force to do it but she'd nearly yanked her hair out by its roots. She sighed to herself, _The price of using the Force when I'm upset._

She hefted her newly crafted cylindrical weapon. The focusing crystals were fused into the emitter array and her essence had been transmitted into the crystals. It was well and truly hers. She was proud of what she'd accomplished.

Evak had left her alone to work on her lightsaber. Tanith had thought long and hard about what to do with her prospective weapon. She was lousy at swordsmanship. Her strengths lay with her quarterstaff.

The thought of her severed staff brought a chill of remorse. Her father's labor of love was ruined. The worst part was that it was her fault. She felt as though she'd failed her long lost parents and their specter hung over her as she applied herself to her project.

Tanith held her pommel out in a one handed grip. She activated one blade and then the other. Adapting to her strengths, she'd crafted a saberstaff.

Idly, she wondered how Alaric would react to that development. His dream may have been pure fantasy but it would shape his perceptions. She knew that she liked him but the thought of him following her around like a love sick puppy revolted her. She could only hope that he would be content to just be her friend.

Evak chose that moment to enter the room, "I sensed you'd completed your… Oh! Oh my."

"Don't tell me you've a prophecy concerning this as well." Tanith warned in a strained voice.

"No." Evak shook her head, "It's just none of us have tried constructing a saberstaff since poor Uilic cut off his own head."

Tanith grimaced, "_There's _encouragement."

"Sorry." Evak apologized, "It's just an image burned into my mind. Are you certain this is the weapon for you?"

Tanith's lips twisted in a lopsided grin, "Let's just say the Force led me to it."

"All right." Evak accepted that with just a trace of skepticism, "How would you like to try it out."

Tanith nodded, "Sounds good."

Korista and Gremlin had reached Morn's offices. Gremlin halted outside of the reception area and plugged into a computer terminal. Korista briefly wondered why but then she realized that they'd never made an appointment. The bright, if eccentric, little astromech was taking care of that little detail.

_At least I think he is, _Korista amended.

Gremlin detached from the socket and whistled for Korista to follow him as he wheeled past her. He entered a lift and she dutifully followed him. She was glad one of them knew where they were going.

The lift's doors opened on the fiftieth floor. Gremlin exited and went left. He headed down a corridor with glass partitions for walls. Finally, halfway down the corridor he stopped, faced right, and impatiently burbled.

"Yes, Oh Imperious Leader, I'm coming." Korista chuckled.

She reached the door he was standing in front of and pressed the palm lock. The door slid aside and they entered Charis Morn's reception area. Her aide looked up.

"Can I help you?" he asked in an almost sincere tone.

"My name is Korista Talon'Ryst. I have an appointment." She declared.

The aide checked the calendar, "So you do. You're early. I'll see if she's available."

"Thank you." Korista replied and then took a seat.

Her wait was a short one because the aide rose and came around his desk, "If I could show you to Ms. Morn's office?"

Korista dutifully rose. It seemed that, for today at least, she was destined to follow people around. She supposed the humility of it was good for her soul.

_Yeah, right;_ she inwardly scoffed.

Charis Morn's office was the only one shrouded in occluded glass. The aide spoke into his headset and the door opened on its own. Korista and Gremlin entered in.

Morn was Korista's age and was decked out in very prim business attire that was cut from the latest trends of Imperial fashion. Morn scrutinized her visitors and drew a blank. She proffered a chair and Korista accepted.

"I have to admit," a slightly embarrassed Morn admitted, "that I don't recall ever meeting you before."

"That's because you haven't." Korista confessed, "I'm not here to negotiate a contract. I'm here to ask you a few questions about the pilot that stranded you in the Wild Space region."

"Alaric Brekk?" Morn asked, "I've already been debriefed by the Imperial Navy and you're definitely _not _from the Navy."

"I'm a private investigator." Korista easily told her a version of the truth, "Your former pilot has been implicated in a potential kidnapping. At the very least it's a missing persons case and he's been implicated."

"Implicated how?" Morn inquired.

"Your ship, the _Implacator_, was seen picking up the missing woman. There was another figure with her. He was dressed in black robes." Korista described the situation, "Do you know anything about that?"

"He was probably one of those flotzing Jedi." Morn bitterly complained, "They're why Alaric went AWOL and stranded me in the armpit of the galaxy."

"What Jedi?" Korista was morbidly fascinated. She didn't know of any Jedi currently operating in Wild Space.

"Well, they had lightsabers, telekinetically threw things around, and could brainwash people with a sweep of their hand. Isn't that a Jedi?" Morn wondered.

"I guess." Korista played dumb.

"Well, anyway, Alaric's gone. The Jedi have threatened the Empire and we've dispatched a couple of ships to help the Corporate Sector Authority wipe them out." Morn explained, "Once those scum are gone, business should pick up."

"Why would the Jedi threaten the Empire and why would the CSA want to wipe them out?" Korista had to ask.

"At first these Jedi brewed dissent against the CSA's expansion plans. Next they fostered rebellions on CSA worlds. Finally, when the Empire agreed to honor its mutual defense treaty and send in troops, the CSA sent intelligence reports of the Jedi threatening to overthrow the Empire if we help out." Morn revealed.

"Where are the Imperial and CSA forces going to strike?" Korista asked.

"That's classified." Morn suddenly grew intransigent.

Korista's eyes narrowed and she stretched out with the Force, "_Tell _me."

"Triann." A mesmerized Morn supplied the answer.

Korista released her, "Thank you. You've been most cooperative. You may have provided the vital clues to solving this case and finding the woman."

Morn blinked a few times, "Happy to help."

"We'll just show ourselves out." Korista rose and Gremlin flopped out his other leg. They left the office and retraced their steps to the ship. En route the paid the docking fees and then, once they were aboard, Hobbie lifted off and the _Lightray_ was headed for Triann.

Tanith was led into a cavernous space. Situated in the middle of it was a round mat. An edged ring of padding circled it. In the ring Seetha Ki dueled with Ro-Jan. Even from a distance it was easy to see who was winning.

The contest wasn't limited to lightsabers. The combatants struck at each other and with the Force. As Evak led Tanith closer, Seetha was reeling. Ro-Jan disarmed her and she tried lashing out with Force lightning. He deflected it with his blade and hurled her off of the mat into a nearby wall with the Force.

Seetha was wobbly as she rose, "All right. I give."

Ro-Jan's critical eye did not register satisfaction or regret. His victory simply was. He turned to those gathered around him.

"All right. Who's next?" he asked.

"I am." Tanith was surprised to hear herself say.

Ro-Jan was also surprised and it showed. The other Sith cleared a path for her. She stepped into the ring and held her staff's hilt in front of her.

"Darlin' are ya sure ya want t'be usin' that?" Ro-Jan asked.

"Take care of yourself and I'll do the same." Tanith calmly replied. She didn't know what was driving her confidence. All morning she'd been immersed in the Force. For the first time in months she felt at peace. She knew Ro-Jan could beat at dueling but her couldn't defeat her, the _real_ her. Now it was time to make her outer skills match her inner ones.

"Okay, it's yer funeral." Ro-Jan ignited his blade and poised himself.

Tanith ignited both ends of her saberstaff and waited. Within a heartbeat they both exploded into action. Ro-Jan angled from on upper position and made an elegant slice driven by his waist. Tanith blocked it with the blade controlled by her left hand and then swung her right into action.

Ro-Jan blocked the right but narrowly avoided the reversal. Tanith rotated the staff in her hands, creating a shield. She then brought the staff over her head. It came down in a sweeping arc driven from her left side.

Ro-Jan retreated and Tanith continued her motion with fluid grace. She spun around and carried the staff with her. She brought the right side up from the floor and the blade collided with Ro-Jan's. She pulled the blade off and swung with the left.

As she pressed her attack, she increased the frenetic intensity of her blows. They came harder, faster, and from more and more directions. Realizing that he was losing the saber battle, Ro-Jan struck with a telekinetic shove.

Tanith flew backwards but she tucked herself into a ball. Cradling the saberstaff, she rolled onto her feet and sprang into the air. She was a whirling dervish as she retaliated. Ro-Jan tried another push but Tanith matched him. They stood locked in position, each trying to gain the upper hand. As was natural in such situations, they repelled each other. Both landed on their feet and stood facing one another.

"I think that's enough." Evak declared. Ro-Jan didn't budge. Tanith maintained her defensive posture. When he relaxed, she would.

"Ro-Jan!" Evak snapped, breaking his concentration; "It's over."

He gazed at her for a moment and then with an almost imperceptible nod he deactivated his saber. Tanith did the same. Evak smiled, "Well this is a good day. It's not often that our instructor is challenged."

"Tanith, if you could counsel the other students, I'll have a word in private with Ro-Jan." Evak commanded.

Tanith was immediately flocked. She held up her hands, "Whoa! One at a time!"

She pointed at Seetha, "What would you like to know?"

"How the strox did you do that?" Seetha wondered.

"I have no idea." Tanith guiltily admitted, "For once in my life I just followed my instincts and let the training take over. Besides, I was relying on the Force. It was almost like I could see his moves before he made them."

"I wish I could do that." Peeta complained.

"What I finally figured out was that you have to have faith." Tanith spoke, "I trusted the Force to assist me. As I believed that it could, I was able to clearly draw on it without being crippled by doubt. Don't ask me why I've had this epiphany. All I can say is that it worked."

"But you used the Light Side of the Force." Rav Telrik sneered.

"I wasn't trying to hurt him." Tanith calmly replied, "I only used enough strength to hold my own."

"So you're saying you could have beaten him?" Arlo V'an wondered.

"Maybe, maybe not." Tanith said, "He wasn't trying to kill me or anything. In a real fight who knows what would have happened?"

"But why didn't you use the Dark Side?" Telrik snarled, "That's where strength is found."

"Not always." Tanith countered, "Your raw emotions allow you to tap into the Dark Side. Emotions are a good thing as long as they don't overwhelm you. The Dark Side is seductive because it gives us an excuse to allow our emotions run rampant and control our existence."

She took a deep breath, "If you can't rein in your feelings then you seek more and more power to satisfy your every whim. That's a dangerous trap. Some whims are too dangerous to satisfy. We should stop where others get hurt but if you're consumed by the Dark Side, and therefore your own passions and desires, you don't care about others and the whole premise of defending them becomes a hollow joke."

"The Dark Side is useful because we can rely upon it when are under siege or about to fall." Tanith went on, "But like everything, Light or Dark, it needs to be balanced. Too much of a good thing becomes a bad one."

"So you're saying that about the Light Side as well?" Tress Marnis asked.

"Of course." Tanith laughed, "I've met Jedi that are so worried about skirting the Dark Side that they've devoted themselves to abolishing all emotion in their lives. They no longer have compassion and therefore fail the first requirement of being a Jedi. Whether you're Sith or Jedi, you should strive for mastery of the Force and _yourself_, the totality of the Force and the _whole _you. It won't work any other way."

"But…?" they protested and Tanith sighed.

Evak and Ro-Jan stayed for this part of the exchange and then they moved into a nearby alcove. Evak was sorely disappointed, "You were ready to kill that poor girl."

"If ya hadn't noticed, she was tryin' to kill me." Ro-Jan growled.

"Bantha shuk." Evak retorted, "She had no such inclination. She was defending herself and utilizing the idea that the best defense is a strategic offense. She was trying to _disarm_ you and nothing else."

"But…" Ro-Jan protested.

"Your wounded pride is what's at fault here. You haven't lost to a student for several years now and you were embarrassed to that you were barely holding your own against a girl that you said could barely fight." Evak scolded.

"She couldn't." Ro-Jan complained.

"Then we should rejoice in the fact that she's drawn on new resources that will make her a fine addition to our Rule." Evak lectured.

Ro-Jan sighed, "I get the message."

"Good." Evak smiled, "Now go reclaim your class before Tanith gets overwhelmed and tries to fry everyone's brain again."

Ro-Jan grinned, "I'd like to see that."

"Go!" Evak commanded. As Ro-Jan departed Evak nestled into the darkness of the alcove and thought about what had transpired and Tanith's words. Evak had been stunned by the woman's performance. She'd totally misjudged her.

_Or have I?_ she wondered, _She herself admitted that this is a newfound talent. If she blossoms this much in a day, what will a year bring? What have we inherited? _


	9. Chapter 9

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 121

After being detained for four hours, Corran and the two other Jedi, Meris Won and Flax Jessop, were kept in the Docking Bay while Luke and Mara were taken to a squadron briefing room to discuss matters with the captain of the _Impervious_. They were kept waiting for twenty minutes and then the captain arrived. He was a grave man, whose features reminded one of a young Grand Moff Tarkin.

"Captain Fenzweir, the Jedi, just as you requested." Jellico smartly reported.

"Very well, Lieutenant." Fenzweir sounded weary, "Return to the scan team. Report if they find anything."

"Yessir." Jellico snapped off a salute and disappeared.

Fenzweir looked to his guests, "For heaven's sake, sit down. I can have a tray brought in. Care for refreshments?"

"I'll take a cup of caf." Mara replied. Luke gave her a pained look and she asked, "What?"

"Master Skywalker?" Fenzweir asked.

"Sylic tea, please." Luke's expression became one of amusement, "You know who we are?"

Fenzweir looked insulted, "Of course we know who you are. Who else would be traipsing about in the _Jade Saber_? New Republic Intelligence keeps us apprised of your comings and goings, the both of you."

"I see." Luke digested this, "And what do you expect to find aboard my wife's ship?"

"Absolutely nothing." Fenzweir snorted, "But an Alert has been issued so we must so our solemn duty."

"Trust me," Mara chimed in, "we know about duty."

"Yes, you of all people would." Fenzweir directed his comment to Mara. Luke didn't feel slighted. There were still Imperials that blamed him for the death of Palpatine and the staggering losses the Empire had endured since then.

"Excuse me," Luke interrupted, "but would it be possible for refreshments to be sent to our people as well?"

Fenzweir was embarrassed, "Yes, of course. I'll tell the steward when he arrives."

"You seemed awfully nonchalant with enemies of the state." Mara observed.

"'Enemies' my hind quarters." Fenzweir snorted, "I may not overly approve of you Jedi but you do come in handy on occasion."

"So you don't consider us a threat." Luke said for him.

"No." Fenzweir dourly admitted, "And if the Corporate Sector hadn't gotten their knickers in a twist neither would Command."

"What about the CSA?" Mara honed in on that fact like a raptor seeking prey.

"CSA Intelligence bounced a report off of ImpSec. That report supposedly contained evidence of a growing Jedi threat. These Jedi were trying to topple the Authority and had threatened to move on to the Empire after they were done." Fenzweir explained.

"And you're taking their word that it was Jedi?" Luke calmly asked.

"We've got visuals confirming it." Fenzweir declared.

"Could I see them?" Luke wondered.

"Of course." Fenzweir inputted his access codes and a hologram appeared. It showed two ebon clad figures with crimson lightsabers telekinetically hurling around Espos. The visual lasted for less than thirty seconds but Luke and Mara both recognized the fighting style.

"Call off your squadron." Luke insisted, "We'll handle this."

Fenzweir shook his head, "It's too late. Both the CSA and Imperial forces are committed. They won't stand down because a Jedi told them to."

"We may be Jedi but those people on the holovid weren't." Luke pronounced, "They're something infinitely worse."

"You know what they are?" Fenzweir asked.

"I have an informed hunch." Luke replied, "If I'm right then your forces don't stand a chance."

"What can you do?" Fenzweir wondered.

"We can intervene." Luke answered, "Hopefully there are enough of us to dissuade them from further aggression."

"That isn't much to go on." Fenzweir admitted.

"Captain, lives are at stake. Let us help." Mara insisted, "Where's this strike occurring?"

"That's classified." Fenzweir stiffened.

"Captain, we both know my security clearance rates far higher than yours. I'll slice the records if I have to but I'd prefer it if you didn't make me." Mara counseled.

Fenzweir's shoulders sagged, "They're headed for Triann."

The steward arrived with two thermoses. Luke was surprised, "You knew?"

"I had a hunch." Fenzweir confessed. Luke studied him. He didn't seem stronger in the Force than any other average human but this was an uncanny feat of intuition.

Mara elbowed Luke in the ribs, "Let it go."

"Riiight." He complied.

Fenzweir was puzzled but he was doing his level best not to show it, "How can I help?"

"Alert your forces to expect us. We don't need to get shot at by every side." Mara declared.

"They're already running under comm silence but I'll try." Fenzweir warned them.

"That's all we can ask." Luke said appreciatively.

Another steward appeared. This one had cases of sandwiches and officer's field rations. It was a sad truth that in the Imperial Navy, the officer corps rated far better fare than the enlisted personnel or the stormtroopers. The officer rations were actually edible.

Mara was appreciative for the rations. She'd often compared Republican rations to poodoo. They were egalitarian but horrible nonetheless.

The sandwiches were a joy and both Jedi practically danced with delight. They could sense the other Jedi's reactions and knew they'd received the same. Luke thanked the captain and then he and Mara took their leave of him.

The _Lightray_ dropped out of hyperspace and Hobbie and Korista took in the view. Neither of them had ever been this far out from Republican or Imperial space. Triann was nestled in a system with two habitable planets and three habitable moons. There were no less than eight gas giants and three iron-nickel planetoids and a desert world with a corrosive atmosphere. All of them revolved around a yellow giant star.

A massive asteroid belt ringed the star and it suggested a planetary collision. A fragmented moon still existed in the heart of the belt. The field and the shattered moon were heavily mined by the locals.

Triann was the first of the habitable worlds. She possessed two moons. One was an airless rock and the other was habitable. Triann Minor boasted a population of twelve million.

The Trianni homeworld contained seven billion felinoids. Another thirteen million aliens lived upon her surface. They were a proud race. Renowned for their technical skills…and for their martial abilities the Trianni were considered safe from the outreaching arms of the CSA. Apparently those days had ended.

Hobbie contacted traffic control and got permission to land. He guided the craft down along the approach vector until they were well and truly within the atmosphere. He turned to Korista.

He studied her profile and then her face as she turned to meet his gaze. Her pale pallor made her look ill to most humans. Her violet hair was thick, almost matted, and it could hide her antennapalps when she so desired. Her gray eyes were filled with curiosity and her full lips twisted into a smile which brightened her angular face.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." Hobbie replied, "Where are we headed?"

"Stretch out your feelings." She suggested, "It'll become obvious."

Hobbie lowered his shields and suddenly he could feel a crowd drawing on the Dark Side…and the Light Side? Was it a battle? He voiced as much.

"No." Korista seemed entranced, "There's no malice. They're coexisting."

"How…?" Hobbie was baffled.

"I don't know." Korista admitted, "But I want to find out."

Her wistful eagerness bothered Hobbie. Korista had a hard enough time employing the Light Side of the Force without confusing the issue with whatever these people were doing. He'd have to watch her…now more than ever.

Korista's board chimed and she frowned, "We're getting painted by a tracking sensor but it isn't military or the local traffic control."

"I've got a funny feeling about this." Hobbie warned her.

"So do I." she agreed, "Here's the coordinates to the source. Land there."

"Kori…" Hobbie faltered.

"Tanith's down there." Korista advised him, "I _know_ it."

Unfortunately, Hobbie had a sense of inevitable destiny. There were also Master Skywalker's instructions. With a sigh of regret he plotted the course.

Hobbie landed the Blastboat on the field occupied by the Sith's makeshift "fleet." Coming out to greet them were Tan Lungress and Benni Vrostif. The Ithorian and the Gotal tensed as the hatch opened up. Their sensitivity to the Force alerted them to Korista and Hobbie's identities before they were even seen.

Tan and Benni ignited their lightsabers as Korista's feet touched the ground. She adopted her most pleasant smile, "Could you show me where Tanith Irel is?"

"Go away." Benni ordered, "You're kind aren't welcome here."

"Too bad." Korista replied. She stretched forth her hand and said one word, "Sleep."

Benni sank to the ground and began snoring. Tan made a few exclamatory remarks on his native tongue and held his saber up in a guard position.

"You too." Korista commanded. Tan dropped his lightsaber and curled up alongside Benni.

"What the strox did you do to them?" Hobbie cried out.

Korista shrugged, "They're taking a short nap. C'mon, there are guards at the castle's entrance and I might need your help."

Unbidden, Gremlin followed them. Hobbie was too distracted to protest. Korista noted his presence but didn't see where the harm lay. He might come in handy.

At the castle's gate, they were challenged by Tress Marnis and Peeta. Korista smiled, "I think I like these people. They're mostly women."

"Stop right there!" the Nautolan demanded.

Korista sighed, "I just want to see Tanith Irel."

Peeta ignited her lightsaber but before she could bring the blade up Korista delivered a backspin kick that smashed her head into the gate. She fell unconscious to the ground. Tress activated her saber. Korista telekinetically hurled her into the woods.

Tress's alarm alerted those within the castle to the "threat" outside. Those within its walls barred the gate. Korista tested it with her muscular might. It was to no avail.

"Kori, let's go." Hobbie urged.

The moment he'd been dreading came. Korista drank deep from the Dark Side. She drew her hands back and then thrust them forward. The doors flew off of their hinges.

Inside the gathered Sith nervously watched as Korista led Hobbie into the castle's foyer. She confidently strode in until she was a mere arm's length from the first cluster of bodies. Trying charm, she asked; "May I speak with Tanith Irel?"

Crimson blades ignited in front of her. They formed a fiery wall and that wall was determined to block her path. Korista's smile was predatory.

"No?" she dryly remarked, "Then I guess I'll just have to find her myself."


	10. Chapter 10

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 128

Ro-Jan, Evak, and Tanith were huddled in a conference room when Roontoi came running in arms waving and chittering away in Jawese. Evak stood, "You're certain?"

A thunderous crash reverberated throughout the castle as the main gate splintered and flew into the foyer. Tanith and the others made it out in time to see through the crowd. Korista made her request and the Sith reacted violently.

Tanith was stunned beyond comprehension to see Korista Talon'Ryst. Even more mind blowing was the fact that Korista was in the livery of the Jedi Order. As the Sith ignited their crimson blades, Korista merely smiled. Tanith braced for the surge of the Dark Side that was about to transpire.

Only…it didn't. Korista casually shed her robe and then plucked her lightsaber off of her belt. Its amber blade flashed and she stood poised in a defensive stance. The assorted Sith rushed her and she engaged them.

The following minutes were a ballet of grace and destruction. Korista readily disarmed her opponents. If they withdrew, she allowed them a safe retreat. If they pressed the attack her irritation caused her to forcibly repell them.

In the end, all of the Sith students swarmed around her. In an anger fuelled moment she telekinetically hurled all of them back. Most bounced off of the stone walls. Those flying towards Tanith's party were caught by Evak's hold on the Force and gently lowered to the ground.

All of this time, Hobbie had silently stood still transfixed in horror. Now Korista advanced on the three Sith that Hobbie could sense were the most powerful. Would Kori challenge them or would she prefer negotiation? The next few seconds were vital to her place in the Jedi Order.

Korista's decision was made for her when Ro-Jan lit his saber and stood in front of his Master and Tanith, "You'll not git t'them without a fight."

"I don't want a fight you, you dunderhead." Korista chided him, "I just want to talk to Tanith."

"Over m'dead body." Ro-Jan growled.

"Fine." Korista grimly replied.

Ro-Jan swooped in on the offensive. Their parries and strikes flew back and forth. All that could be seen was a blur of colors. But, in one deft move, Korista disarmed Ro-Jan.

He snarled and unleashed bolts of Force lightning. She blocked them with her saber and slowly marched up to him so that the aura of Force energy spilled back onto him. He was thrown backwards with a cry.

Tanith moved to intervene. She held her saberstaff high, "You want to talk? Let's talk."

Meanwhile Roontoi was frantically tugging at Evak's robes and chittering away like mad. Evak was nodding, "You were mistaken before? You're certain now? Can't I feel it? Of course I can feel it. Everyone can."

Korista shut down her blade, "Okay, let's have a conversation instead of another bloody fight."

Tanith closed down her staff, "That's the last thing I ever expected to hear from you. And those robes…?"

"They don't fit very well." Korista replied and Tanith caught her metaphorical meaning.

"And you would be?" Evak asked.

"Korista Talon'Ryst." She answered, "And that over there is Hobbie Ghent. He's a Jedi Knight."

"And you're not?" Evak asked.

"To be honest, I don't know _what_ I am." Korista confessed.

"Perhaps we can explore that together." Evak offered, "If you'll follow me, we can go somewhere private."

Evak turned to Tanith, "You'll come as well."

"Where she goes, I go." Hobbie declared.

Evak studied him and then smiled, "Of course. If you'll all follow me?"

Ro-Jan intervened, "Master?"

"Tend to the students." She instructed, "They'll need guidance."

Ro-Jan nodded his compliance but a defiant fire burned in his eyes. He'd been humiliated twice now in a very short span of time. Although he knew he should calm himself and find his peace in the Force, his anger simmered and he immersed himself in the Dark Side. The students would find no comfort from him.

Once they were ensconced in a small room with a large table, Evak hustled off and returned with refreshments. Korista's surprise showed.

Evak's laugh tinkled, "Surely they eat on Balosar?"

Korista poured herself a cup of caf, added a little nerf milk to it and helped herself to a few cookies from the pile. She sampled her coffee and groaned, "Why is it everyone else in the flamin' universe has _real_ caf?"

Evak gave her a consoling smile, "The beans are grown locally even as the nerf is raised in nearby fields."

"That isn't fair." Korista grumbled.

"It may be after all." Evak enigmatically proclaimed, "But tell me about yourself."

"I don't know where to begin." Korista confessed.

"Surely you can sense I don't mean you any harm?" Evak asked. When Korista agreed then Evak's smile warmed up even more, "Then try the beginning."

Haltingly, Korista began with her childhood. As she spoke she gained more confidence in her audience and she shared far more than she'd originally intended. By the time she finished, there were few secrets left.

And then she surprised herself. Her longing for finding a path where Dark and Light met came out of her mouth. Tanith's surprise and Evak's delight were easy to read. Korista wondered why they had those reactions.

Evak had Tanith relate her story. Many aspects of the account echoed Korista's. Her sense of longing was a twin of the Balosar's. Her discovery of peace and purpose with the Sith capped off her tale.

"How can that be when the Sith are strictly Dark Side adepts?" Korista wondered.

"Most Sith Rules are." Evak admitted, "But our rule, the Sinherran Rule, seeks to embrace the totality of the Force. There is no Dark or Light. There is only the Force. We can utilize the Dark Side because we have mastered the evil within our souls and we do not use those powers granted us by the Dark Side to harm others."

Korista's expression as a wry one, "I hate to tell you this, but your 'Sith" were using the Dark Side and they wanted nothing more than to chop my head off."

"Most of them are novices. They haven't mastered themselves yet." Evak replied, "You yourself drew on the Dark Side but you mastered _it_, it didn't control you. You have room in your heart for love, which is infinitely more complex and potentially more destructive than hate, but your compassion made you hold back against my students. Your love and the mere fact that you didn't want to be consumed by your anger or hatred. You've found a better path. Now, why don't you learn how to use the negative side of your nature to empower the good?"

"That's enough!" Hobbie leapt to his feet, "I'm shutting you down."

This amused Evak, "You _do _realize that you're hopelessly outnumbered?"

"It doesn't matter," Hobbie declared, "I've got _her _and she already trounced your crummy Sith."

"Why don't you ask her that before you make wild assertions?" Evak calmly insisted.

"Kori?" Hobbie's confidence faltered.

Korista rose and faced him. She plucked her lightsaber off of her belt and handed it to him, "I think I'm going to need a new one of these."

"But…" Hobbie was devastated, "I'll inform Master Skywalker. He'll bring the Order and deal with them. Surely you don't want to join with them."

"Actually, I do." Korista replied, "I told you my destiny would become manifest once we found Tanith. This is it. This is what I'm supposed to do."

"I…" Hobbie began and then Korista grabbed his lapels and pulled him in for a fierce kiss. Hobbie didn't know whether to crow or cry.

She released him, put a finger to his lips, and said, "You do what you have to and so will I."

Hobbie's posture sagged in defeat. All right. C'mon Gremlin…"

Gremlin let loose of a whole cacophony of sounds and Hobbie stiffened, "What do you mean you're staying here with her?"

Gremlin's reply infuriated Hobbie, "'It's your destiny?' What a load of poodoo!"

"Hobbie, he wants to stay." Korista offered soothing counsel, "It isn't the Jedi way to force people to do what they don't want to."

Hobbie's eyes stung at this perceived betrayal and he had to compose himself. Finally, he said; "Fine. I'll be going alone then."

Korista sadly watched him storm out of the castle. Evak sensed her pain and placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, "He'll be fine. Now what about you? You need a new set of robes and a lightsaber. We have the materials for both."

Korista looked to the older woman and a wan smile appeared, "I guess."

"Tanith," Evak surprised the younger woman, "why don't you show Korista around? I'll tend to the students. I fear in his anger, Ro-Jan isn't helping them find their way."

Tanith wanted to protest, she really did, but Evak made sense; "Okay, if you'll follow me?"

Not knowing what else to do, Korista complied. Evak watched them go and then went to the main hall. There Ro-Jan was agitating the others. She sighed and moved to intervene.

"Listen to me!" she called as she approached. The crowd quieted down but the tension remained. Evak gazed at each and every one of them individually.

"There is too much anger here." She pointed out without accusing anyone, "You need to shed your anger and draw on the Living Force. Seek its guidance not _its_ control. You've been through a lot today but I can tell you that our days will be getting better from now on."

Roontoi came up beside her and Evak spoke on, "The Hammer and the Shield have been revealed. The Shield came to us just a few days ago and you know her as Tanith Irel. The Hammer has just revealed herself and is named Korista Talon'Ryst."

"But what about Seetha?" a voice called out and an angry ripple passed through those assembled.

Roontoi took over and explained that she had only seen a partial vision before and she'd confused Seetha for one of the two prophesied sisters. Seetha's qualifications were dubious and the appearance of Korista only solidified the proper vision even more in Roontoi's head. Now that she'd seen the two in action, she knew where the Force was leading her. It also meant danger was coming.

"You all know what this day means." Evak reminded them, "A threat is coming. A threat that will define our Rule and establish our place in the galaxy."

Evak was somber, "We don't have a clue as to what this threat is or how we'll face it. Some of us will die. That's predetermined. Those that remain will be confirmed as the defenders of Wild Space."

"Now is your chance to leave. If you don't think that you can stand strong, or you fear death, then I beg you leave rather than dishonor your Rule." She implored them,

"We have a few hours in which to decide. No one will think less of you for going. In fact you'll be applauded for having the strength to realize your weakness. The Dark Side will be calling to you from now on and if you can't resist its siren song and master it, then you should leave and may the Force be with you always." Evak urged them, "Now, we'll break and have a meal."

Korista whistled, "There are enough components and crystals here to make lightsabers for an army."

"I think that's the idea." Tanith quietly observed.

"They worry you even though you've joined with them." Korista observed.

"They have a great potential…for good and evil." Tanith said and then she shrugged, "All I know is that I _belong_ here with them."

"Yeah," Korista agreed, "me too."

A lopsided grin appeared on Tanith's face, "Y'know, I half expected to see you again. I thought if Gregin wouldn't come after me then Brakkis would send you."

Sadness descended over Korista, "I might have _if _he'd asked. I don't know. All I know is that the Dark Side isn't the only path but I'm lousy at being a Jedi. I don't know what happens next but I do know it happens with these people."

Tanith's expression became a rueful one, "My anger carried me across the galaxy but I never surrendered to it because I was afraid of it. All I had to do was trust in the Force and it would have provided me with everything I needed. My anger could have been a tool rather than a motivator. It took coming here to see that."

Korista chuckled, "We make a fine pair."

Tanith rolled her eyes, "Wait until you hear about this prophecy of theirs."

Korista's brow raised, "Prophecy?"

"Yeah." Korista confirmed with an evil tone in her voice, "Avoid Jawas around here. That's all I'm telling you."

Now Korista was horribly confused, "Right."

She pointed at the sling strapped to Tanith's back, "So, a saberstaff. You always were better with that quarterstaff than you were your lightsaber. Whatever happened to it?"

There was infinite sadness in Tanith's reply, "Gregin cut it in half."

"I'm so sorry." Korista said from the heart, "I knew it meant a lot to you."

"Thanks." A halfhearted Tanith replied.

Korista began perusing the contents of the shop, "Yup. Everything I need. Hey, why are these three synthcrystals sitting here apart from the others?"

Tanith shrugged, "Those were improperly mixed. The crystalline matrix formed and they were the wrong color. At least that's what I was told."

"D'you realize what they've been overlooking? Magenta stones are the rarest of Sith stones. They don't burn as hot but they last twice as long." Korista revealed.

"So, you're going to use them?" Tanith wondered.

A triumphant smirk spread across Korista's face, "Oooh yeah."


	11. Chapter 11

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 131

Tanith loitered about while Korista fashioned her new lightsaber. Once it was assembled, Korista poured her Force essence into the synthcrystals that created the blade. She opened her eyes with a satisfied smile and ignited the blade.

It was purest magenta. As powerful as the typical Sith's crimson blade with the longevity and endurance of a violet blade. Korista went through a basic swordsmanship meditation before closing down her blade.

"That's really beautiful." Tanith opined.

"The deadliest things usually are." Korista wearily replied.

Tanith hesitated and then leapt into the verbal fray, "You know what you said to your friend about the Jedi way? The part about Jedi not forcing others to obey them? You used to do it all the time."

A sad sigh escaped Korista's lips, "I was weak. It takes an especially insecure person to want to dominate others. They're so uncertain of their place in the world and how they'll react to anything that they'll force the universe to redefine itself into the shape they wish to see it in. I was afraid of myself so I was afraid of everyone."

Korista met Tanith's eyes and hers were bright with conviction, "If I learned nothing else from the Jedi is that the only thing you can master is yourself. Fate may upend itself, fire and destruction may rain down, and everything may be stripped from you because you can't control the universe but you can master how you'll react to it. _That's _what the Force requires of us. We can do that when we love the Force. If we do that, we can love ourselves and once we love ourselves we can truly love others."

Tanith absorbed her words and then shook her head, "You _have_ changed."

Korista shrugged, "I'm not the only one. When I beat that thick headed lummox determined to protect you and you stepped in…I'm not sure I could've beaten you. Anyone else here but not you. Isn't that a switch?"

Tanith laughed, "I guess it is."

"Looking good Ladies." Alaric's baritone rang forth from the doorway.

"And you're looking mighty lustful." Korista pointed out.

"Call it a result of a personal prophecy." Alaric replied.

Korista looked to Tanith and blinked. Tanith sighed, "I'll explain later."

Korista turned back to Alaric, "You're no Sith so that must make you Alaric Brekk. Which makes the cutter outside the _Implacator_."

"Ho ho, the lady is informed." He chuckled, "And it's the _Saberstaff _now."

"Then you'd better change the ID transponder." Korista dryly informed him.

Alaric rubbed his head, "It's hardwired into the comm array. I don't know anything about comm tech. I'll have a proper service tech do it soon enough."

"Maybe not." Korista warned, "I have information stating that the CSA and the Empire are on the move. One of their objectives is capturing you and getting that ship back."

"Waitaminute! The Imperial Navy and the CSA are coming _here_?" he asked, "How do you know this?"

"I spoke with Charis Morn." She answered, "That's how I knew where to find you. _All_ of you."

"You've got to tell this to the Master!" Alaric declared and ushered the two women out of the shop.

At the edge of the Triann system, the CSA _Victory_-class Star Destroyers _Profit_ and _Monopoly_ emerged from hyperspace. With them was the _Imperial II_-class Star Destroyer _Implicator_. The Imperial ship was twice the size of the Corporate cruisers but it was relegated to system control. Her squadrons of TIE fighters would fly space superiority missions while the Corporate ships deployed their IRD-A starfighters against the Trianni's incoming ships.

Aboard the bridge of the _Profit_ Captain Hik Up reported to Commander Wilf Ras. As Commander of Espo Squadron 1141, the invasion of Triann was his responsibility and his brainchild. Ras had staked his career on this move and he hated the thought of turning into a mere civilian inside the CSA if this effort failed.

"The landing barges have deployed." Up reported, "All forty of our AT-TE's are being landed."

"Excellent." Ras's smile was razor thin, "Let's see the savages deal with those. What of our AT-PT's?"

"They're being landed in two waves of forty units each." Up declared.

"And the enemy's reaction?" Ras asked.

"They've mobilized their pathetic fleet." Up answered, "It consists of two picket cruisers and a frigate, all Clone Wars surplus."

"Be kind." Ras humorlessly chuckled, "After all, most of our equipment dates back as far as the first half of the Galactic Civil War."

"Except our starfighters." Up proudly pointed out.

"Yes, we did design and build those ourselves when the asking price for TIE fighters grew too high." Ras brightened, "And they've become quite an attractive export."

Both men smiled. As senior officers in the Corporate Security Forces they both owned shares of the Corporate Sector Authority. Shareholders determined fiscal policy for the Board and the Board determined the Espos' imperatives. In a very real sense, Ras wrote his own orders.

"This _would _be easier of the Imperials deployed ground forces beside ours." Up complained.

"Our allies are controlling this star system so that no unexpected 'allies' can surprise us." Ras chided him, "And they are deploying their TIE bomber wing. That should tilt the balance in our favor."

"Sir, we have incoming fighters." A lieutenant reported.

Up went to check on the report, he looked up to Ras; "The Imperials are intercepting. The _Implicator _is moving between the Trianni 'fleet' and our position. They're engaging the enemy."

"Keep a close watch on that situation." Ras ordered, "If any of the Trianni ships elude the _Implicator_ have the _Monopoly _deal with them."

"Yes sir." Up obeyed.

"Have our fighters run cover for the barges." Ras commanded.

"The Trianni will wet themselves when they see our AT-TE's and AT-PT's." Up cruelly chuckled.

"Our Espo commandoes should also cause them some alarm." Ras added, "It'll be like invading Naboo. This shouldn't take long at all."

The Trianni called for the Sith's aid. Evak was saddened by the events at hand, "I thought this part of our lives was over."

"Alaric `n I will fly up t'the opposin' ships, board the command ship, `n wipe out the commanders." Ro-Jan offered.

"Almost the right idea," Korista butted in, "wrong cast of characters."

"What do you mean?" Evak wondered.

"Tanith and I will lead two Sith aboard the command ship, disable her, and capture the commanders to be used as bargaining chips." She explained.

Inspiration flashed in Evak's eyes, "I don't know…"

"Listen to the Force." Tanith urged, "_This _is what's right. We can do it. With Seetha Ki and Arlo V'an we can do this or anything else."

Tanith's unwavering confidence was a surprising change. Her words also fit in with what Evak was sensing from the Force. She looked at the two women endorsing this mad plan and she _knew _this was their destiny. The Sinherran Sith were in their hands and they belonged there.

"All right." Evak relented, "Arlo, Seetha, go with Alaric, Tanith and Korista. It's upon you to save the planet. Meanwhile, the rest of us will combat the CSA forces here at home."


	12. Chapter 12

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 138

The _Jade Saber_ emerged from hyperspace only to be rocked by laser blasts. Mara swore dark invectives and activated the comm, "Don't shoot, you idiots! We're non-combatants. Check your flash traffic. You should've been warned of our approach."

Silence loomed but the shooting stopped. Finally a TIE pilot transmitted in the clear, "Secure all weapons and follow us to the _Implicator's_ hangar bay."

"Sure." Mara replied through a clenched jaw, "Whatever you say."

As she set course to follow the TIE's to their base, Mara shot a dark glare towards her husband, "I hope you know that I'm only doing this for you."

"No, you're only doing it for the sake of the Force." Luke corrected her, "Everything else is trivial."

Mara glowered as she returned to the business at hand.

The _Implacator/Saberstaff_ rose to the ionosphere. Her ID transponder was turned off as were her active sensors. Now that they were in the CSA's flight path, things were about to get interesting.

"Okay Tanith," Korista turned to her newfound sister in crime, "it's your show."

Tanith closed her eyes and reached deeply into the Force. She wrapped the ship in a bubble of occlusion. She was invisible to sensors and to some eyes. It was a skill she'd mastered during her flight from Gregin.

Korista turned to her Togruta teammate, "All right Seetha. Your gift is Battle Meditation. Strengthen Tanith and Arlo's abilities. We need to be invisible and only the two of you together can accomplish that."

"Arlo," she said as she turned to the Bith, "Precognition is your foray. Let Alaric know what's coming _before _it gets here."

Korista sat back and watched as her companions did their jobs. She could feel the Force flow. It was a tangible thing it radiated so strongly. She was just grateful that the CSA and the Empire had no Force adepts. They'd never approach undetected if there were.

Corran approached Luke as they exited the _Jade Saber _and placed themselves at the mercy of yet another contingent of Imperial Stormtroopers, "Do you feel that?"

"I sense four." Luke replied, "And I think our lost little nerfs are among them."

"That's the _Implicator_ out there." Alaric saw on the passives, "She was my mothership."

"The _Implacator _belonged to the _Implicator_?" Korista asked, "Isn't that kinda redundant?"

Alaric grinned, "It gets better. There were four cutters. The _Implacator_, the _Implecator_, the _Implocator_, and the _Implucator_."

"That's stupid." Korista opined.

Alaric shrugged, "All the good names were taken."

"So why aren't you flying?" Korista asked.

"Arlo's got it covered. I'm here for landings and emergency maneuvers." Alaric jovially replied.

"You'd better get ready then because we're almost in the hangar of that Star Destroyer." Korista pointed out.

"She's the _Profit_." Alaric supplied the name, "As in profit and loss."

Korista smirked, "They're about to learn about loss."

"Here's hoping." Alaric said as he took control away from Arlo, "Better get everyone ready."

"So one of your Jedi has joined forces with these 'Sith'." Captain Jerj Trenil found the term distasteful.

"You needn't be so disdainful." Luke gently said, "The Empire was founded by a Sith Lord and his will was enforced by another Sith Lord."

"Emperor Palpatine was no such thing." Trenil huffed.

"I know from personal experience what kind of powers the Emperor wielded. He was a Sith whether or not revisionist history tapes want to acknowledge it." Luke countered.

"You've said one of your number is participating with these Sith?" Trenil wore an oily smile.

"Yes." Luke warily answered.

"Then you _are_ combatants and will be held here until hostilities have ceased." Trenil declared, "Owing to Captain Fenzweir's recommendations, you will spend the duration in a squadron briefing room rather than in the detention center."

He turned to the younger woman beside him, "Lieutenant Venti, escort our 'guests' to the squad room and keep them there."

"Yes sir." Shiri Venti replied, "Move along, you Jedi scum."

_Kappa_-class shuttles landed in and lifted from Trian's capitol city of Mrawn. AT-TE's and AT-PT's had already landed and were fanning out. The disembarking troops literally rolled out with the assistance of HAVw A5 Juggernauts. IRD-A strikefighters and TIE Bombers had pummeled the ground based defenses and now it down to house to house urban warfare.

The walkers and the Juggernauts were being deployed to quell resistance at other major urban centers. So far, the Trianni Rangers had been holding their own but with the arrival of the mobile armor, they'd dispatched speeders to retrieve Evak and her Sith. The Sith readily came.

Korista shrugged off her cloak as the cutter landed in the _Profit's _landing bay. Troops were already massing to greet their unwanted visitors. The other Sith followed her example.

"I'll go down first and deal with them." She instructed, "Tanith, be ready for reinforcements. You'll have to deal with them while I'm distracted."

Tanith nodded. Korista could see no trace of her insecurities any more. Somehow, unexpectedly, she'd made peace with herself during her long flight. Strangely enough, Korista felt that way too. Of course, they _were_ in the midst of a mission. Personal doubts had to take a backseat to everything else.

Korista gathered her own resolve and stepped down the boarding ramp. She walked down to the awaiting deck with a far more resolute step them she felt. Ranks of Espos stood before her. There were more to either side.

"All right." She began, "I accept your surrender."

The Espo sergeant in command laughed, "Do you know what we are, girlie?"

The term _girlie_ irked Korista to no end, "Do _you _know what I am?"

"A frail looking to join me in bed?" the sergeant laughed. If 'girlie' had irked Korista, the slang term for Balosars enraged her. She thrust her hands out in front of her in a shove.

The gathered Espos were telekinetically pushed backwards until they rested _above _the magnetically shielded hangar hatch. With nothing holding them the artificial gravity pushed them into outer space. There they died horrible deaths.

Tanith surged forward and ignited her saberstaff as the Espos to Korista's left opened fire. In a blur of motion, Tanith blocked all of their shots and began reflecting them back at the troops. When she'd reduced their number by half, they retreated.

Meanwhile, Arlo and Seetha had joined Korista and the three of them echoed Tanith's performance. As with the other flank, they retreated after receiving several casualties. The Sith regrouped and plotted their next move.

Alaric showed himself and Korista frowned, "Stay in the ship. We'll need an evacuation."

"Yes, ma'am." Alaric saluted.

Next she addressed her fellow Sith, "Tanith, you and Seetha head for the engine compartments. Disable this tub."

Seetha grinned as she and Tanith began to walk away. Korista called after them, "Don't get dead."

Tanith turned, "Oh ye of little faith."

Arlo chuckled, "She's a rare talent. The Dark Jedi's loss was our gain."

"I can tell." Korista admitted.

"And you child, you have a destiny. As Rayl said, you will save this world." Arlo observed.

Korista's answering grin was a rueful one, "Have you seen it or are you just flotzing with me?"

"I do not flotz with anyone." Arlo protested.

"Whatever." Korista replied, "Let's get to the bridge."

"Where you lead I shall follow." Arlo promised.

_Dangerous attitude, _Korista thought to herself.

Mara called Lieutenant Venti over, "I need access to the room's data terminal. Will you shoot me if I put in my authorization codes?"

"What codes?" Venti derisively laughed, "You're no Imperial."

"Access file berak-gilotos-hammra-lambda-six." Mara said. Sensing Venti's hesitation she said, "Do it!" with much more emphasis.

Venti did so and her face lost all color. Mustering up her courage, she said; "Countersign Hamish-one."

"Cute." Mara sarcastically replied, "The _correct_ countersign is Klaatu-Barack-Nikto. And the authentication phrase is, "The darkness shall reign."

Venti saluted, "Ma'am! How can I be of service?"

"Let me monitor the battle." Mara instructed, "I need real-time holo-imaging and sensor feeds. I also need the comm traffic. Flash traffic would be good too."

"Yes, ma'am." Venti got busy.

"You know, it's almost handy to have you along sometimes." Luke jested.

"'Almost' my shiny white butt." Mara retorted, "You wouldn't accomplish anything without me, Skywalker."

"I know." He grinned, "I just can't let you get swellheaded about it."

She snorted, "Let's just sit down and watch what's going on, shall we?"

Evak and her forces intercepted a triad of AT-TE's and six AT-PT's. The Sith cut their way to the AT-PT's. They deflected laser blasts with their lightsabers and used the Force to swat aside concussion grenades.

Rather than damage the armored walkers, they pulled the pilots out and let Trianni troops take over their operation. The larger vehicles, however, were proving to be more challenging.

The AT-TE's had already destroyed two speeders with their main guns. In one speeder the Sith had gotten clear. The others had not been so fortunate. The Sith surged forward as one. They deflected the laser fire back at the walkers. The Trianni joined in with the AT-PT's.

"Wait!" Evak shouted as her warriors were preparing to immolate the walkers and their crews, "The Trianni need the equipment _and_ the prisoners."

The Trianni commander beside her looked at her with an unspoken _Oh, really?_ Evak knew the Trianni could care less for prisoners since their opponents were fighting a genocidal campaign. However, the very being of her Sith was in jeopardy.

They were being drowned by the Dark Side. The Sinherran edicts preached that the Dark Side was a tool just as the Light Side was. What mattered was mastery of the two. One could be attuned to the Living Force without being overwhelmed by it. Call it faith coupled with reason.

Her students were losing that clarity. They were plunging entirely into the Dark Side. Its unbridled passions were running rampant. There was no skill or discrimination. Life had devolved into a bludgeon blow applied to everyone. It would only be a matter of time before they attacked the Trianni and then each other if something wasn't done _now_!

"My children, gather around me." She commanded. Ro-Jan was still, somewhat in control. He enforced her will. Soon the Sinherran Sith were gathered.

Tanith cleared away yet another Espo blockade. Seetha shook her head, "Are you _ever_ going to leave me something to do?"

Tanith blushed, "Sorry. It's just when I'm protecting someone or something, I have a clarity of purpose that lets me accomplish just about anything."

Seetha smirked, "So I've noticed."

Tanith checked with a wall map, "We're almost there. Just two more sections and we'll be there."

They proceeded along with no interference. They arrived at the entrance to the engine room. The blast doors were sealed.

"Now what?" Seetha asked.

"Like I said before, 'oh ye of little faith." Tanith grinned, "In a case like this, the Force will provide. Just be ready."

Tanith shut down her staff and outstretched her arm. Her hand was closed in a fist. When she suddenly sprang her fingers out in an outstretched fashion, the doors crumpled and flew inwards.

Seetha leapt into the fray. The startled engineers barely had time to get to their emergency weapons. She parried every shot and maimed a few of them.

Tanith walked in and simply said, "Stop."

The entire space became still and silent. Every eye turned to her and she smiled, "Now, here's what we're going to do…"

Arlo held Korista back, "A patrol will be coming by in one minute."

As predicted they went down the adjoining corridor. Korista moved into that corridor and began to stealthily proceed down it. She'd engaged Espo patrols at random locations throughout the ship to confuse the enemy.

Her advantage lay in the fact that only a hundred or so Espo troopers were still aboard after the massacre in the landing bay. Between all the havoc Tanith was wreaking and the random strikes Korista had pulled off, the guards were scattered all across the ship. Which theoretically meant that her path to the bridge had been virtually cleared.

Korista and Arlo entered a lift and proceeded to the bridge. When the lift opened she stepped out and faced six Espos. A feral smile spread across her face and she lit her lightsaber.


	13. Chapter 13

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 145

Korista's eyes met those of the Espo squad leader. Hers were hungry for action while the Espo's were terrified. An inner voice reminded her that she's inflicted enough carnage for an afternoon. Instead she waved her hand in front of her.

"Sleep." She said.

They all collapsed. The burliest one amongst them began to snore loudly. Arlo was dumbfounded.

"How…?" he asked.

"A little trick I learned from Brakkis." Korista confided.

There was a sudden surge in the Force and the blast doors opened. A being swaddled in the barest essence of the Dark Side stood waiting for them. His was a face Korista knew too well.

"Jasper." She breathed.

Jasper Colin smiled, "Korista, it's been a while. Have you come to join me in my bed?"

"You know better than that." Korista said softly.

"Too bad." Jasper replied, "We had good times."

"Of a twisted sort." Korista admitted. She noted that his eyes had transformed from their customary green to a pure yellow. It was a side effect of being fully immersed in the Dark Side. Palpatine's eyes hadn't been normal for the last twenty years of his life. It was a common enough trait amongst true Sith and Dark Jedi, not the watered down Sinherran Sith.

"I heard you became a Jedi." Jasper sneered, "Yet here you are with these simpering imitations of a Sith."

"I've beaten you before." Korista reminded him, "On a regular basis."

"That was before you abandoned the purity of the Dark Side. Now you're just a wretched ghost of your former glory. Putting you down will be a mercy killing." He declared.

"Maybe." Korista replied with steel in her voice, "But you won't be the one to do it."

"Have I mentioned your little friends in the engine compartment?" Jasper laughed, "They should be receiving a nasty shock as well right about now."

Korista stretched out with her feeling and knew his words were true.

"You're going to shut the reactors down." Tanith informed the chief engineer.

"Or what?" she asked.

"Or I'll kill you and find someone who will." Tanith said.

"Brave talk, Little Mouse." A new voice called out. It was an all too familiar voice.

Tanith turned and saw who she expected to see, "Ferris Holtz, I'm surprised you're still alive."

"You must be slipping, Tanith. Even _you _should have detected my presence." Holtz sneered.

"I thought I detected a foul stench in the air." Tanith retorted.

"Excuse me," Seetha interrupted, "I don't mean to pry or anything, but is this personal?"

"Yes!" they answered in unison. Seetha backed away, "Just checking."

"Are you still mad that I turned you down?" Tanith mockingly asked.

"You should have been honored that I asked." Holtz declared, "Any other woman in the Twilight Academy would have jumped into my bed."

"And a few of the men as well." Tanith primly pointed out.

"I was trying to make a place for you." he grated, "But, nooo, you have to be the outcast. You wanted to be despised and it worked because we all hated you. Especially Gregin."

"And look where that got him." Tanith retorted.

"You've grown braver, Little Mouse. I'll give you that." He allowed. He plucked his saber off of his belt.

"Do it and you're dead." She warned.

Holtz smiled and lit up his blade. He charged in head first. His first blow was delivered off of his shoulder in a sweeping roundhouse. Truth be told, it was a clumsy and inelegant move. He was capable of more.

Tanith blocked it with her saberstaff. His eyes went wide at the revelation of the weapon. Tanith twirled it around a few times and then brought back around her.

_This _time he used the elegance of Form V. His parries and thrusts came at lightning speeds. Tanith blocked low and then high at the opposite shoulder with her other blade. Holtz tested her reactions a few more times and she easily repelled him.

Smiling, he stepped back and withdrew a lightsaber hilt from a storage sleeve on his belt. He ignited it and now he had two blades.

His smile was predatory, "You might make fine sport after all."

Jasper ignited his lightsaber. Tanith shook her head, "Don't make me fight you. Only one of us will survive this fight."

"It won't be you." He promised.

"Are you willing to stake your life on that?" Korista asked.

"Are you?" he scoffed.

Korista lit her blade and she took the offensive. They exchanged jabs, thrusts, sweeps, and slashes. After five minutes of unremitting conflict they separated. Neither had gained an advantage or disadvantage.

"You're as good as I remember." Jasper admitted, "But your powers have grown weak. You've lost your will to win."

"I've lost my will to win at _any_ cost." Korista corrected him, "Look at you. You've been completely seduced by the Dark Side. You no longer control it. It controls you."

"_I_ am the master!" He hotly declared, "As you're about to discover."

He raised his blade and she braced for another fight. Unbeknownst to her, two Espos had emerged from the bridge and leveled blaster rifles at her. They fired simultaneously.

Arlo saw this and was on the move. He deflected one bolt back to its originator with his lightsaber but the other penetrated his defenses and struck him in the chest. He had a flaming gout in his torso as he sank to the floor.

Alerted to the scene by Arlo's movement. Korista blew the advancing Jasper off of his feet with a Force shove and unleashed a torrent of lightning at the remaining rifleman, killing him. She dropped to her knees and cradled Arlo's head.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She told him with every ounce of conviction that she had.

"Don't worry." Arlo rasped and then loosed a hacking cough. When he'd recovered, he motioned her closer, "Don't forget your destiny. Don't become like _him_."

"I won't." she promised, "Neither will the Rule."

"Good." Arlo sighed, "I think I'll sleep now."

His body shuddered and he became one with the Force. Korista fought back tears. Arlo's had been a kind, gentle soul. The exact opposite of everything normally associated with the Sith.

"Tending to mewling younglings now are we?" Jasper taunted, "He was weak. You should celebrate his death."

Korista rose and turned to face him. An inner fire burned in her violet eyes and suddenly Jasper's confidence wavered. Those eyes bespoke of death and it was coming swiftly.

"There's only one death I'll be celebrating and that'll happen as soon as I finish with you." She declared.

The certainty in her voice and the dread feeling that he received through the Force made him doubt whether or not he could take her. He shrugged those thoughts aside. _He _controlled the Dark Side, not her. He surged forward with a mighty battle cry.

Tanith blocked one blow to the right and then another to the left. This went on for several minutes and then she devised a plan. She dropped the blades of her staff and ducked under the next roundhouse from Holtz's right. Spinning behind him, shed thrust the end of her staff into his back and ignited the blade. It burned itself through his body in seconds and as his spine was severed, his legs buckled.

He dropped the lightsabers and Tanith telekinetically collected them. She tossed one to Seetha, "Here's a souvenir."

Seetha deftly caught it and then turned to face the chief engineer, "Now, about those reactors."

The engineer scrambled her men. She turned to face Seetha, "We've got thirty minutes."

"Then I suggest you evacuate." Seetha replied.

Meanwhile, Tanith knelt next to Holtz; "It didn't have to be this way."

"Yes, it did." Holtz replied, "I would have done the same to you, Little Mouse. You did what you had to do. Now, do it again."

Tanith nodded, "Okay."

She rose and ignited one end of her staff. She sliced his head off and then knelt next to the body. She folded his hands across his chest. She put his head in the crook of one arm and his lightsaber in the other. She didn't know if Darksiders had an afterlife but she wished him the best of luck.

Seetha approached, "We have to go. We only have thirty minutes before the ship blows."

"You go." Tanith instructed her, "Korista needs me. We'll meet you in the hangar bay."

"Are you sure?" Seetha asked.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life. Now scoot!" Tanith urged.

Korista slashed downward. Japer's blade caught hers so she pivoted it around in a circle. Still, they were locked in eternity. Nothing existed outside of their battle.

Suddenly, she twisted his blade out of his hands. He responded with a Force shove that sailed her across the space. He went for his saber but she caught it in a telekinetic grip and it hurled itself towards her. As it approached, she sliced it in half with her own lightsaber.

Jasper desperately tried Force lightning but she caught it with her blade. He persisted as she doggedly marched straight for him. Finally, he dropped the lightning and attempted another Force shove.

Korista met him with her own effort. Inexorably, he was pushed back against the wall. He dropped his shove as he tried to break free of Korista's grip. The pressure on his head became unbearable.

"Please, I'll do whatever you want!" He screamed.

She replied with a vicious smile, "You're already doing it."

A deep rooted cry of terror and agony was ripped from him as his head caved in. Korista took note of her handiwork and then casually walked away without a trace of remorse. She approached on the upper level of bi-level bridge. Commander Ras and Captain Up were coming straight at her. Up opened his mouth first.

"Look here! This is…ack!" he grabbed his throat and staggered backwards.

"Release him!" Ras thundered.

"Call off your troops." Korista calmly requested.

"No." Ras said flatly.

"All right." Lightning began to swirl and sparkle around her hand, "But yours won't be a pleasant death."

"Korista!" Tanith shouted from the other side of the bridge, "Let him go!"

Korista nonchalantly turned, "Oh really? And why should I do that?"

"Because Arlo would've wanted you to." Tanith argued.

Confronted with her promise, she released Up. The Force lightning disappeared as she stepped back in remorse and shame. Tanith met Ras head on.

"You have twenty minutes to get off of this ship." Tanith declared, "After that the reactors go critical."

"You're bluffing." Ras countered.

"No, she's not." a junior officer spoke from the work pit, "An evacuation has been sounded and the reactors are out of control. The entire engineering section is gone."

"What do you want?" Ras angrily inquired.

"You'll withdraw your ground troops. The troops, _not_ their weapons. If you don't comply, then we go over to the _Monopoly _and do a repeat performance. It's that simple."

"They'll know you're coming." Ras argued.

"They won't know we're there until it's too late. Just like you didn't." Tanith informed him."

"But the _Profit_?" Ras almost broke down and pleaded.

"Better to lose one Star Destroyer than two…or maybe three." Tanith pointed out, "I'm sure the Empire would hate to lose their precious capital ship."

"You couldn't possibly…" Ras's voice drifted off.

"There are two dozen more Sith on Triann. Just like us. I'm sure they'd love to bring the fight to you and your allies." Tanith warned.

Ras considered her words carefully. He wanted to fight on…he truly did but all of his instincts told him these women and their allies could crush his gathered forces. His career wouldn't survive this fiasco but his reputation would forever be tarnished if he lost the whole battle group.

"Captain Up, evacuate the bridge. Get everyone to the lifepods." Ras ordered.

"What about you, sir?" Up asked.

"Don't wait for me." Ras commanded, "I'm giving the withdrawal order. I have to coordinate with the _Monopoly_ and the _Implicator_. Go, before my last official order is to have you shot for insubordination."

The crew evacuated and finally only Ras, Korista, and Tanith were left. Tanith asked him, "You're staying with the ship, aren't you?"

"I have nothing to go back to." Ras confessed, "All that waits for me back home is humiliation. This way I die with dignity."

"Well, you couldn't ask for a more brilliant funeral pyre." Tanith opined, "A lot of people will be joining you. Too many souls were lost today."

Ras caught the regret in her voice and he softened, "Hadn't the two of you leave before it's too late?"

"That it is." Tanith agreed, "C'mon Korista, we're leaving now."

Talon'Ryst fell into step behind Tanith and they entered the lift together. As it sped to the appropriate level, Korista softly said, "Thank you for stopping me."

Tanith somberly nodded, "The Dark Side is easy to fall into. You get lost in it. It takes a lot of discipline to master it. You just lost focus."

Korista laughed bitterly, "I just wanted them _dead_. After what happened to Arlo, I couldn't see the point in letting any of them live."

"But you stopped once your focus was shifted. That's what counts in the end." Tanith pointed out.

"I didn't give Jasper a chance." Korista softly replied.

"_Jasper Colin_?" Tanith asked.

"Yup." Korista affirmed it.

"Well," Tanith's tone lightened considerably, "he was trying to kill you. Besides the kriffing rodder deserved it."

Korista was surprised by Tanith's reaction but she kept it to herself. Tanith obviously struggled with her own anger issues. It was probably why she could speak like she did. Her advice was sound but it would take a long time before the guilt of violating her promise to Arlo so soon after making it. She vowed it wouldn't happen again.


	14. Chapter 14

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 152

Captain Trenil appeared in the squadron briefing room and eyed Mara at the commset, "It appears that your… What the strox is this?"

"Sir!" Venti came to attention, "I must inform you…"

"Shut up Lieutenant." Trenil snapped, "I'll deal with you shortly."

Mara rose and faced him, "Let me recite some interesting facts and phrases for you, Captain."

After going through the same identification sequence _plus_ an added pass code for dealing with command officers, Trenil was far from convinced, "Emperor's Hand, eh? The Emperor is dead so why would he need a hand? And what is a professed Imperial doing with the Jedi?"

"_This _Imperial is helping make the galaxy safer." Mara retorted.

"I don't buy it." Trenil replied, "_However_, I can see how you bulled your way through my junior officer. She's off the hook. _But_, what I came here to tell you is your accursed Sith carried the day. The Corporate invasion of Triann has been halted. They've destroyed one Star Destroyer and have threatened to the do the same to both the remaining Star Destroyer and _my_ ship. I rather doubt that they could have their way aboard the _Implicator_ but it doesn't matter. I'm only in this system to support the CSA. If they withdraw, so do I. You're free to go."

Venti handed back their lightsabers and they made ready to leave when Trenil asked another question, "You're here to deal with these so-called Sith?"

"That's right." Luke replied.

"Flotz them up for me." Trenil said.

Luke was silent as he departed.

On the surface of Triann, the Espos were laying down arms. The AT-TE and AT-PT crews were exiting their vehicles and surrendering. However, one of the AT-TE drivers decided to enact one last plan for revenge.

Ro-Jan, Telrik, and Evak were assisting their squad of Trianni Rangers in processing the newly captured prisoners. Rather than dropping her weapon with her holster, she dropped the holster but pulled the blaster free. Having sized Evak up as the leader of the Sith, she quickly fired from the hip, catching her in the abdomen.

Telrik went mad. Foaming at the mouth, the lupine Sith beheaded the woman with his lightsaber. Then he turned on the other prisoners. He came in hacking but found his blade blocked by Ro-Jan's.

They dueled for several moments and then Ro-Jan, being the better swordsman, sliced Telrik in half. The Shishtaranen looked surprised as his chest separated from his gut. Ro-Jan regretted having to do it but he wasted no time on remorse. He ran to Evak.

The Trianni were tending to her. The medic gravely assessed the wound, "I've received word that we're out of bacta on a planetary scale. We'll dress and disinfect the wound. She should live but she'll be immobilized for several weeks. We'll give you dressings and disinfectants to be applied twice daily. Can you remember that?"

"Of course." Ro-Jan replied and recited the instructions verbatim.

The medic nodded, "Very good. I've summoned a med transport team. They'll take her back to the castle. They'll also assist you with moving her to her bed and setting up some monitoring equipment. The equipment will just alert you if things worsen and you can summon a doctor from the nearby enclave."

"Thank ya, Doctor." Ro-Jan expressed his gratitude, "Y've done more than I coulda expected."

"Just attend to her." The medic requested, "Triann needs her as much as you do."

"Y'got it." Ro-Jan promised and then anxiously awaited the transport.

Alaric sat the ship down at the landing field. The _Lightray_ was still there and Korista wondered why. As the crew disembarked, she excused herself and went to the ship. There she found a disconsolate Hobbie leaned up against the hull.

"So, you won the war?" he asked, "That was quite the lightshow in the sky. Could've rivaled the one on Endor when they blew the Death Star. You had a hand in that?"

"Yeah." Korista said with far less joy than she should have. After all, they'd won hadn't they? Still, it felt like a pyrrhic victory at best.

"Master Skywalker is on his way." Hobbie informed her, "I don't know when he'll be arriving but it should be soon. It's not too late for you to change your mind."

"I don't _want _to change my mind, Hobbie." Korista informed him, "These people don't just deny the Dark Side, they master it. The Force doesn't have to be Dark or Light. It's one entity. It should be embraced in its totality. _That's _what I was instinctively struggling with. I found my answer. Now it's just living with it."

"Kori, I just can't understand or accept that." Hobbie admitted.

"Look at it this way," she suggested, "if you only dwell in the Light and suddenly the call of the Dark Side, of the darkest recesses of your soul, calls and you fall then you drown in that darkness. _But_ if you master that part of yourself, that part we all have, then you can tame it. You can't simply run away from it. You have to stare it in the face and control it."

"I don't know if I could do that." Hobbie confessed.

"Then in a perverse way, it'll always control you." Korista said, "I have to be going now. Tell Master Skywalker to keep an open mind when he comes calling."

"You know he will." Hobbie defensively replied.

"We'll see." Her smile was a sad one.

As Tanith entered the castle's walls, all she could feel was anger. It permeated the air. All of the Sith were gathered in the main hall and they were simmering. They were drastically reduced in number. Half of the Rule had been killed. But more to the point was: where was Rayl Evak?

Tress Marnis had so Tanith and Seetha approached her. Tanith spoke for them, "Where's Master Evak?"

"She was wounded." Marnis explained, "We've lost half of our senior Sith Lords and an equal number of novices. But, the near loss of the Master is just too much to take."

"Where's Ro-Jan?" Tanith asked.

"He's standing watch over the Master." Marnis answered.

Alaric heard this and proceeded upstairs. After several minutes passed, he came back down. His expression was a rueful one.

"Ro-Jan's not letting anyone into her room." He announced.

"That's kinda stupid." Tanith opined, "We could help with her care. He has to sleep sometime."

Korista approached them and looked around, "Tense room."

"They need leadership." Tanith explained, "Master Evak's been injured and Ro-Jan is insisting on guarding her."

"Guarding her from what?" Tanith snorted, "Espos?"

"All I know is something needs to be done." Tanith insisted.

"Skywalker and his Jedi are on their way." Korista broke the news.

"When?" Tanith asked.

"All I know is it'll be soon." Korista placed her fists on her hips, "They want leadership? Fine. Let's give `em some leadership."

"But…" Tanith started to protest.

"Yes, that means _you _too. We might as well make this stupid prophecy business work for us." Korista declared, "C'mon."

The _Jade Saber _landed next to the _Implacator_. Hobbie strolled on over and met the Jedi. He greeted Meris Won and Flax Jessop first then he attended to Luke, Mara, and Corran,

"Greetings Master Skywalker. The situation is grave." He said.

"So I gathered from your first report." Luke said, "Tell me, has the situation deteriorated?"

"Yes. Before there was peace about the castle. Now there's turmoil." Hobbie reported.

"The Sith knew peace?" Luke was stunned.

"They aren't traditional Sith." He then conveyed all that Evak and Korista had spoken to him.

Luke was intrigued, "They're like the Jensaarai. They're Sith seeking to do good. This could be interesting."

"Master?" Hobbie voiced the thoughts of the junior Jedi.

"There is a place for the Jensaarai. Perhaps there's a place for the Sinherran Rule as well." Luke mused.

"Korista _did _ask for you to keep an open mind." Hobbie revealed.

Luke smiled, "I'm sure she did. Right now, I sense she and Tanith Irel are in trouble. Let's get to the castle's gate."

"You'll find it nice and drafty thanks to Kori." Hobbie wryly commented.

"Listen to me people and quit arguing with us." Korista called out, "When the Jedi come, _Tanith_ and _I_ will deal with them. The rest of you sit it out, watch, and learn."

"But…?" Benni Vrostif called back.

"Trust me," Seetha loudly proclaimed, "If anyone can do it, it's these two."

There was a commotion as the assembled Sith began grumbling. A sudden surge in the Force alerted them to the Jedi's arrival.

"Remember," Tanith said, "this is our show."

Luke led the others into the main hall. There the Sith simply stared at him. He could sense their lingering hostility but they were holding themselves in check…for now. Two women emerged from the crowd and went to greet him and the others.

"Hello Master Skywalker, may I present Tanith Irel?" Korista started with introductions.

"Hobbie told me that you'd found her _and _that you'd enlisted wiht the Sith to be by her side." Luke said.

"Spare me the upcoming lecture." Korista bit back.

"You have the wrong idea." Luke shook his head, "Hobbie told me what you and the Sith Master have said to him. There's no reason the New Jedi Order and the Sinherran Rule have to be enemies. Actually, we may be able to learn from one another."

Korista gaped at him while Tanith took over the conversation, "That's what we hoped you would say. I could take you to see the Master if you'd like. She's been wounded so I'll have to check on her to see if she's able to talk. If not, Korista and I can fill in for her."

"Will she abide by your decision?" Luke wondered.

"Follow me and I'll tell you about this prophecy that they have." Tanith guided Skywalker though the crowd and the Sith parted like a curtain.

"So," Mara said to Korista, "you finally went back to the Dark Side. I can't say it's a surprise. You never should have been a Jedi."

Korista was confused, "Why're you suddenly getting snippy with me?"

"To see what you've got." Mara pushed further, "C'mon Sith Lord. If you don't like what I have to say, shut me up. Or are you too weak? You've always been a simpering coward. Would it help if I turned my back to you?"

Several of the Sith stepped forward. Korista waved them off, "Remember, this is my show."

"I'll show you a show!" Mara snapped her saber to life and attacked Korista. The Balosar got her blade up in time to block Mara's strike. She was surprised when Jade Skywalker pressed the battle.

"You'll have to wait here while I speak with Ro-Jan." Tanith instructed. Luke complied and Tanith went to Ro-Jan. He was seated on a stool outside of Evak's door. His was a burning hatred.

"Ro-Jan, I need to speak with Master Evak." She gently informed him,

"Get away!" he thundered as he leapt to his feet, "No one sees her. Ya got that? No one!"

"Ro-Jan, the Jedi are here." She explained, "They want to speak with Master Evak. They're not here to fight. They want…"

"They wanna kill her!" Ro-Jan screamed, "You all do!"

He ignited his lightsaber and came at her with a tremendous downward swipe. She sidestepped the blow and spun around him. She pulled her saberstaff out of its sling.

He saw that she was between him and Evak's door and he went into a frenzy. She ignited her staff and blocked blow after blow. Ro-Jan was a fluid engine of destruction. Though she loathed doing it, her best defense was an offense.

He blocked in front of him, then behind him. He then had to spin and block again low. Next came a reversal to block another slash. Regaining the initiative, Ro-Jan blocked and then threw a slice in at Tanith's abdomen.

She hopped backwards to avoid the blow. Ro-Jan pursued her and she leapt. Cradling her activated staff she performed a flip and deftly landed behind Ro-Jan. She spun around.

Now Ro-Jan was stumbling backwards. She spun the staff overhead and brought it down in a vicious slash. This maneuver was repeated several times. Finally, Ro-Jan slowed.

She cut the emitter array off of his lightsaber. The discharge shocked him. When he recovered, he forced her away with a Force shove.

She committed herself into a backward roll and recovered her feet. She deactivated her staff and told him, "We don't have to fight."

"Liar!" he shouted and unleashed a volley of Force lightning. She caught it in one hand and gathered it up into a ball. Ro-Jan, seeing that his efforts were in vain, ceased his attack.

Tanith threw the ball of lightning at him and it nearly stunned him into unconsciousness. Seeing he was still somewhat awake she drove his head into the wall with the Force. He sagged to the floor.

She turned to Luke, "I'll see to Master Evak now."

Luke had to admit that he was impressed. Except for the piledriver to the head at the end, she'd done nothing he wouldn't have. The difference being that she'd alternated between both sides of the Force. She'd never lost control.

Luke was beginning to see why he'd been called to find Tanith Irel. It was to find these Sith. The Force had led him to send Korista to them so she could join them. The Force did indeed work in mysterious ways. Perhaps there was room in the galaxy for the Dark Side as well.


	15. Chapter 15

Travis Anderson Star Wars: _Heirs to the Sith_ 158

Korista was a proficient swordsman but she wasn't in Mara's caliber. However, her anger drove her and she drank of the Force. It propelled her actions and allowed her square off against the former Emperor's Hand.

Korista didn't want to hurt Mara. At least _most_ of her didn't. She just wanted the fight to end. Seeing that swordplay wouldn't get either of them anywhere she tried a Force shove.

Mara was thrown backwards but she kept her footing. She had deactivated her saber during her flight. She replied with an even mightier shove that hurled Korista across the hall. Mara got up and re-ignited her lightsaber. She purposefully strode towards Korista.

Hobbie leapt forward, "Nooo!"

Corran tried to grab him, "Ghent no! She's only testing her."

Hobbie didn't have ears to hear. He ignited his blade and attacked Mara. Mara's superior skill prevailed and she disarmed him. His lightsaber flew into her hand.

"Go sit down. I won't hurt her…much." Mara said.

She ignited his blade and continued her march with both lightsabers burning.

Mara heard a deep throated growl she turned around. What she saw stupefied her. Hobbie's fingernails had always been rather sharp but now they were extended and revealed for what they truly were. They were claws. His canines had also extended giving him fangs.

He charged towards and her and leapt. Not wanting to hurt Hobbie, she dampened both lightsabers and threw her arms up to protect herself as he crashed into her. Now on her back, she fought to keep Hobbie from ripping her throat out.

Hobbie was suddenly hurled off of her and pinned to the nearest wall. Korista had her arm extended as she walked by.

"Be glad I didn't take our fight personally." She quipped.

"Can you handle him?" Mara wanted to know.

"Better than you can." Korista replied. As she approached Hobbie, he quieted down. His transformation was still intact and he was rather bestial but he appeared ready to listen to her.

"Hobbie, it's me. Or have you already figured that out?" she began softly as she slowly approached, "Look I know what's happening to you. It's exhilarating but it's also kinda scary. You want to test your powers and make things go your way. You wanted to stop Mara and you did. Now you can let go of your anger."

She stood right in front of him, "Let go of the anger and the fear. There's nothing threatening here but you. We're all okay. I want you to come back to me, Hobbie. I _need_ you to come back to me. Y'see, I've realized a few things. If my being a Sith and your being a Jedi means we can't be friends, then I guess we'll have to go our separate ways."

"_But_," she hinged on that word, "if Masters Evak and Skywalker can come to an understanding then that paves the way for us. You're sweet, gentle, and kind, _not_ a monster. You're the guy that stood by me even when I was running around breaking all of the rules. I left the Jedi Order and you still hung around to see if I was okay."

"I need that guy in my life." She confessed, "This here doesn't change anything between us. An hour ago, I was in your place and someone talked me down. I'm here for you. I want to always be here for you. Do you understand?"

Before her very eyes, his teeth retracted as did his claws; "You mean it?"

"Every word." She admitted.

Closing the distance between them, they kissed. There was no ferocity this time around. Now it was full of tenderness and mutual vulnerability. When they separated, the room erupted into cheers.

More than a little embarrassed Hobbie looked out into the sea of Sith. His arm was around Korista's waist and she had her arms wrapped around him as well. It was a moment he'd been waiting for.

Off to the side, Corran leaned in and conspiratorially whispered to Mara; "What do you think now?"

"The girl's got promise." She admitted, "But I'm not sure about this latest development."

"Well done my children, we've found common ground at last." Evak's said from the foot of the stairs. The Sith rushed to her side. She held up a hand, "Gently. I'm still in a great deal of pain."

It was true. Her voice was strained and she depended upon Tanith for support. While it would have been better for her to remain in bed, the moment was too monumental to miss.

"Master Evak and I have reached an understanding." Luke announced, "The Sinherran Rule will defend Wild Space and the Corporate Sector even as the Jedi do the same for the New Republic. I will be leaving behind one of my Knights as well as sending you another and his students. Hobbie, I believe you'll be the first and Kyp Durron will be the second."

Luke approached Hobbie, "Study their ways and teach them ours. Beyond that, that's for the Force to decide."

He clapped Hobbie on the shoulder and went to Mara's side and whispered in her ear, "That was a dangerous game."

She drew him in close and whispered back, "It worked didn't it?"

Before he could reply she tilted his face to meet hers and she kissed him. It seemed to be in the air. Seeing an opportunity, Alaric sidled up alongside Tanith.

"Everyone seems to be kissing." He nonchalantly observed.

"Cool your thrusters buster." Tanith replied, "I'm busy."

Evak turned to observe the pair. Alaric grinned, "Don't worry. I've got time."

Tanith sighed and Evak chuckled, "I think I'd best return to my room. I'm feeling faint and I think I'll need to be there when Ro-Jan awakens."

"Your wish is my command." Tanith telekinetically lifted Evak and floated her back to bed. Just as Evak was settling in, Ro-Jan came to. He rushed into the room.

"You!" he accused Tanith.

"Ro-Jan, be quiet!" Evak snapped, "I'm tired of this nonsense. Now I know why you've refused to become a Master. It's the proper decision."

She took a breath and proceeded in a quieter voice, "Tanith and Korista will be our new Masters."

"But they're wee girls!" he protested.

"Their maturity in the Force is something I've rarely seen. They had the wisdom to bring the Jedi Master to me and now we have a peace accord. What's more, we have an exchange student program. You are going to be the first student."

Ro-Jan was crestfallen, "Why?"

"It will be good for the Rule." Evak said, "More importantly, it will be good for you."

"When d'I leave?" he asked.

"Tomorrow." Evak informed him, "Now go downstairs and meet Master Skywalker. You'll have a lot to talk about. In the meantime, Have Roontoi bring me a meal and Tanith will stay here and keep me company."

"Yes, Master." Ro-Jan bowed his head and left.

As he departed, Evak turned to Tanith, "Now tell me all about your mission to the Star Destroyer."

The Jedi, and Ro-Jan, left with great fanfare. Hobbie moved his things into a room in the castle. Gremlin expressed his overwhelming delight at Hobbie's staying.

"You just want to have a translator around." Hobbie countered, "That, and that Jawa priestess has been looking you over."

Gremlin delivered a loud _blatt_ and wheeled off. As soon as he cleared the doorway, Korista filled it, "Hiya."

"Hey there yourself." Hobbie grinned, "What's going on? You're in civvies."

"Yup." Korista conceded to his amazing powers of perception, "I'm taking a group into the woods. It's ostensibly a hike but it's also a meditative exercise."

"What's the exercise for?" Hobbie wondered.

"To sense how the Force flows through all things. All that kinda Jedi stuff." Korista grinned, "C'mon, help me out."

"Bribe me." He smirked.

"They'll be some nice quiet, private moments…with nothing to do but use our imaginations." Korista suggested.

"My imagination is already running." Hobbie revealed.

"So's mine." Korista confessed, "So c'mon already."

"Take me, I'm yours." He mimicked a swoon.

"Keep that up and you won't be." She retorted.

He decided to chase her down the hall at that point.

In her chamber, Evak heard Korista's squeals of delight and Hobbie's laughter. Evak smiled at Roontoi and Seetha, "Ah, the sounds of carefree youth."

Roontoi chattered away and Evak's smile lingered, "If you say so."

Seetha continued where she left off, "Tanith's started a martial arts class for the novices. It's strictly hand to hand combat. She instituted a similar class for the Sith Lord's but it also involves weapons training."

"And what to these classes involve?" Evak wondered.

"The basic forms but also how to use the Force during fights. She's comparing and contrasting the best elements of both sides of the Force."

Evak's smile returned and it was full of pride, "That's my girl."

Coming out of hyperspace, Mara turned to Luke: "So how's our sullen passenger doing?"

Luke wore a wry grin, "Corran's trying to break through his defenses right now."

Mara hesitated so Luke prompted her, "What's wrong?"

"Is it wise to send Kyp to the Sith?" she asked.

"Kyp has a history with the Dark Side and he's skirting it even now." Luke answered, "I think the Sinherran Rule may be the ideal place for him."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Mara opined.

"You said that about Korista and look how that turned out." Luke smugly replied.

"After we land, I'm going to bash your head with a pillow." Mara duly warned him.

"And I'm going to defend myself by tickling you." Luke grinned.

"Promises, promises." Mara cajoled him.

Tanith and Korista sat on a patio outside of the castle. They'd been conferring on tomorrow's lesson plan. Tanith suddenly said, "Master Evak will be taking over most of the classes when she's better."

"That's good." Korista replied.

"But we'll still teach advanced students." Tanith amended.

"Such is the life." Korista sighed.

"Are you happy?" Tanith suddenly blurted.

"What?" Korista was surprised.

"I'm sorry. Actually, no, I'm not. Answer the question." Tanith insisted.

"Yeah. For the first time in my life I'm happy." Korista admitted.

"Me too." Tanith confided, "Who woulda seen that coming?"

"Not me." Korista replied, "But Roontoi and Master Skywalker saw it. So who knows? Maybe this really is our destiny."

"Maybe." Tanith rolled that around in her mind for a while and then shook herself, "Lesson plans! Let's finish the lesson plans so we can do something interesting."

Korista grinned, "You're on."


End file.
